


The fight for his Alpha

by AtowncalledMalec



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), malec - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Magnus Bane, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Bonding Marks, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Kitchen Sex, M/M, Magnus Bane & Dorothea "Dot" Rollins Friendship, Malec, Mates, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Nesting, Omega Alec Lightwood, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Plot With Porn, Porn With Plot, Prostate Massage, Shadowhunter Magnus Bane, Shameless Smut, Sizzy - Freeform, Slow Burn, Smut, True Mates, Warlock Alec Lightwood, alpha dot rollins, clace, heat - Freeform, immortal malec, magnus' parabatai, malec freeform, shadowhunter dot rollins, soul exchange, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-04-26 01:45:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 224,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14391594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtowncalledMalec/pseuds/AtowncalledMalec
Summary: "don't tell me you don't want this Magnus. how can you deny that there is between us? we both know that this is meant to be, you cant fight it forever. we both know that we are mate..." Alec said."Don't.... don't say it, Alexander," Magnus said with a wince "you know we cant be together! do you think I don't want this? that every cell of my entire body isn't fighting to get to you? that it doesn't rip my heart out to walk away from you, from what we could be? we... can't...were from two different worlds""seriously? this is because I'm a warlock?" Alec growled"no, its because you're a warlock and I'm a shadowhunter. you know it's not allowed" Magnus said as he stared at the floor, unable to look his mate in the eye."then you should know, I will not give up" Alec said, staring his Alpha in the eye.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lightwood's magic shop](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/377448) by @max_make_art. 



> the one where Alec is a warlock and Magnus is a shadowhunter.
> 
> Hi everyone, I'm back, a whole three days after the end of His Omega to protect lol.
> 
> get ready for instincts, strong alpha females, Magnus' parabatai, Magnus handing Raj his arse, ALPHA Magnus, Omega Alec, strong Omegas, HWOB Alec, a shit load of angst, slow burn and a beautiful first meeting. we are going back to abo basics with this one, focusing on instincts and scents
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this as much as the other one, I know the title has changed but this is much better than Lightwoods magic emporium follow me on twitter at @Atowncaledmalec and check out my other new one, The shades that made him mine. I'm working with @BiancaD90 better known as B. satans child on twitter, its a gorgeous Malec travelling the world fic series, the story of Malec told to their son as bedtime stories! it's sooooft!
> 
> ps there will be a sequel to His Omega to protect ;) kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gorgeous piece of art below is what inspired this fic. It is by @Max_Maks_Art on twitter.

 

 

Magnus Bane stared down at the text message on his phone for the third time, frowning as he read the words from his boss. He threw it on his desk, leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his eyes, she couldn't be serious! He sat up with a sigh and stared around at his new office, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

He thought back to the conversation he’d had with Jia Penhallow.

*

“We need somebody for both positions, you're more than qualified for either” Jia said, as she poured the tea.

“What exactly is going on in New York?” Magnus asked as he took the cup from her hands, holding his hand up when she offered him the small jug of milk.

“It’s a mess, I had no choice but to remove Aldertree, he was running the institute into the ground,” Jia said with a sigh. “It’s all-out war, Magnus,” she said, placing her cup on her desk and leaning forward, her head in her hands.

“When was the last time you got any sleep?” Magnus asked, concerned for his friend. She looked tired as if she hadn't slept in weeks. “You’re taking on too much. You need to delegate, you’re going to make yourself ill if you continue to worry like this” he said, resting his hand on top of hers on the desk and giving it a quick squeeze. As an Alpha female, if it had been anyone else that had made that move, she would have torn their hand clean off. Only the fact that they had been friends for fifteen years saved his hand.

“Magnus, I'm the consul for the clave, it's my job to worry,” Jia said with a tired smile. “What am I supposed to do? I have no inquisitor and nobody to run the New York Institute. On top of that, I have a war with the downworlders on all fronts, none of their leaders will meet with me and I have shadowhunters trying to revolt and come for my job at every turn” she said, scrubbing her hands through her hair in a very uncharacteristic show of frustration.

“Ha, I’d pay to watch that!” Magnus said with a grin “you would annihilate anyone that came at you. You are Consul for a reason Jia, there isn't a single shadowhunter that can best you in combat or an Alpha that would stand a chance against you” he said with a chuckle.

“Magnus Bane, I could activate every rune on my body and I still wouldn't have a hope in Edom against you,” Jia said as she stared at him incredulously. “We both know you can put me on my ass with three moves, I’m only consul because you refused it,” she said with a grin at the expression on his face.

“Me in charge of the entire clave?” Magnus asked with a shudder of horror “it was bad enough heading up the multitude of institutes I’ve already had to deal with, you think I want to be responsible for the entire tribe of idiots? Internal politics, squabbling Alphas and a seraph dagger in the back at every turn? No thanks, you can keep it. I have enough power within the clave as it is I don’t want any more” he said, chuckling when she just rolled her eyes at him.

“I have a suggestion if I may?” Magnus said as he set his cup aside, having finally come to a decision. “Why don't you make Ragnor Fell the new inquisitor? You know he’s fair and respected by just about everyone. He chafes at being stuck in LA and he would make a powerful ally” he said.

“He wants the position less than you do,” Jia said, her eyebrows practically in her hairline. “I asked him already and he flat out refused,” she said with a frown.

“That's why he would be perfect, he’s probably the only one aside from me that won't come for your job” Magnus said “anyway, that was six months ago, a lot of things can change in six months” he said with a wink, pouring himself a second cup before topping Jia’s cup up.

“If you are referring to that… debacle with the werewolf and Valeria Ravencroft…,” she said, the cogs starting to turn in her head as she thought about how to entice him into accepting the position.

“Just order him to accept,” Magnus said, reading her thoughts on her face. “That way he can save face, you have an inquisitor and Ragnor can escape his…. Problems” he said, laughing as she sat there, practically rubbing her hands at the idea.

“Thank you, Magnus, I knew there was a reason we were friends,” she said as she pulled her phone out and fired off a quick text to Fell, ordering him back to the Gard. “Wait, if Ragnor takes the Inquisitor position, whos going to take over the LA institute?” she asked, almost slamming her head against her desk as a whole pile of new worries settled over her, she couldn't stop the growl that rumbled through her chest. Fuck!

“I so don't envy you your job” Magnus chuckled “Morgenstern has been chomping at the bit for a promotion. I think she’s ready and she’s already there. Make her the head and Wayland her second. They might as well run it together” he said, grinning when her head shot up.

“I need a mated pair,” she said, the Alpha in her tone clear as her frustration slipped through the cracks of her self-control. “the rest of them won't follow anyone but an Alpha and Omega that are mated! You did a great job Magnus but without the right leadership, the institute will revert to what they were before you dealt with them” she muttered.

“Haven't you heard?” Magnus asked, surprise colouring his tone when he saw the question on her face. “Clary claimed Jace last month, he’s already pregnant. How have you not heard? If there's one thing the clave likes more than bickering and squabbling with downworlders, its gossiping” he said, both of them bursting into fits of laughter at his understatement.

“They gossip like old female mundanes!” Jia said, howling. “Thank the Angel we were shoved into training together, I don't know what I would do without you, Magnus. You've saved my ass yet again” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes before fixing her gaze on him. “Does this mean what I think it means?” she asked him hopefully.

“You need a mated pair for LA but not New York?” Magnus asked her, reigning his expression in and shutting down at his internal wince when he reminded himself that he hadn’t found a mate yet. How do you get to the age of twenty-eight and not find your mate? He asked himself bitterly. He had accepted that he would be one of those Alphas who’s mate, the other half of themselves was lost to them, that he or she must have died. You do not get to his age and not find your mate, especially if you were as widely travelled as him. Everyone he had grown up with had already been mated for ten years and here he was, doomed to spend his life alone. He had accepted it but it didn't mean the thought didn't shatter his heart into a thousand pieces and scrape at his soul, like a rusty seraph blade.

“Clary and Jace are barely out of training. They might have the potential to become great leaders but they need each other if they are to keep that rabble under control” Jia said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms as she studied her oldest friend. “Whereas you could take on half of the New York Institute on your own and walk away without a scratch. You’re a powerful Alpha, Magnus, you don't need a Beta or an Omega to run that place,” she said watching as he sat ramrod straight in his chair, his face an emotionless void. She hated it when he closed himself off like that, something he did far too often.

“Don't underestimate yourself, my friend” Jia said when she saw a sad frown crack his hardened exterior. “you earned the respect of even the most hardened clave veterans when you overhauled the Melbourne Institute. If it weren't for you it would have been all-out war with the downworld. That's why I need you there, they are a mess. And who knows, maybe you will find your mate in New York” she said gently, watching his shoulders slump as his face crumpled for a second. He reigned it in, but not before she saw it. It broke her heart if anyone deserved to be happy it was Magnus Bane!

 

“You’re far too shrewd for my own good,” Magnus said with a sigh. “I’ll take it on one condition, you pull my parabatai from the London Institute and promote her to my second. It’s been far too long since we've been together and I've missed her. If I'm to take on that shower of shite I'm going to need her, just for the comic relief if nothing else” he said with a chuckle. “You owe me this much Jia if I hadn't been stuck in Australia for the last year we would have been together, as it should be. She's my parabatai” he said.

“Done!” she said, pulling her phone out and firing off another text. She waited a moment, smiling when she read the reply. “It’s going to take her a week to find someone to take over her combat training classes, but after that, Dorothea Rollins is all yours,” she said, grinning at the first true smile she had seen from him in a long time.

“Excellent!” Magnus said, jumping to his feet and making his way over to the secret drink stash she kept in the cabinet behind her desk. “How about we get extremely drunk to celebrate?” he asked as he grabbed a couple of bottles and swung the door closed with a bump of his hips.

“Only if you make me one of your martinis,” Jia said, laughing when he spun around, a bottle of Gin in one hand and a bottle of Vodka in the other.

*

Magnus couldn't stop the growl ripping out of him when he considered the text he had received. He sat there, stewing angrily for several minutes before he heard a ruckus outside his office. His head shot up as his door was almost kicked off its hinges. He launched himself over his desk, not in the mood for any of them at the moment. As his hand shot to the seraph blade in his left thigh holster. He whipped it out a second before realised who it was, almost sagging with relief when he saw her.

“I could hear that growl on the other side of the institute” Dot said, sauntering into the office, throwing her jacket into the nearest chair and kicking her suitcases out of the way before she launched herself across the room and into her parabatai’s arms. “Have you missed me Mags?” she asked, almost lifting him off his feet as she squeezed the life out of him.

“More than you know,” Magnus said as he hugged his parabatai, his best friend. “I hope you're ready for this, these assholes are hard work. Thank the Angel you are here Dot, I want to put every one of them in a choke hold, Aldertree really fucked up” he said as he let go of her and walked back around his desk, slumping into his seat.

“It’s that bad?” Dot asked, walking over and slamming the door closed before throwing herself into the chair in front of his desk, propping her feet up on the desk and leaning back into her cupped hands behind her head. “Who’s ass am I gonna have to kick?” she asked, laughing at the sly grin that spread across his face at the thought.

“Jia’s, for sending me to this Raziel forsaken place,” Magnus said, almost yanking his hair out. He couldn’t help but laugh at the shudder that ran through his parabatai. “I’m kidding… kind of, the worst one is Raj. He was Aldertrees lacky, he seems to think it's my fault his parabatai was sent to Wrangel island and he isn’t too impressed with you either” Magnus said with a sigh.

“I’ve only just got here, what could I have done already,” Dot asked, spinning on the spot as she dropped the book she was inspecting, unable to resist poking around her friend's office.

“You took his job,” Magnus said with a chuckle at the outraged expression on her face. “He was Victor's second, plus, you do have that effect on people, Dorothea,” he said, howling at the superior expression that spread across her face. By the Angel, he had missed her! She was able to make him laugh just without even having to say a word!

“Looks like I'm gonna have to make this Raj my bitch then,” Dot said as she continued to inspect his things. “Make him my assistant Magnus, might as well really piss him off if he's bitching and complaining already. You know I can’t stand the whiney ones” she said, smiling as Magnus roared with laughter.

“Are you joking?” Magnus asked as he wiped his eyes. Raj had been a pain in his ass from the second he had arrived, a week earlier. The thought of turning him over to Dot was tempting. If he would do as he was told that is. “None of them listen to me,” he said with a frustrated shake of his head.

“Have you gone full Alpha on any of them yet?” Dot asked as she slumped back down in her chair with a scowl. She hated seeing her friend stressed out. He was too young to be hunched over with the weight of the Institute on his back.

“I’ve kept it to a minimum for now,” Magnus said. “I wanted to earn their respect, not their fear” he muttered, thinking back to his time at the Melbourne Institute and the LA Institute, the London Institute, the Hong Kong institute before that. He had reformed so many of them they had started calling him the institute whisperer, much to Dots delight and his annoyance. He had tried to start out as their friend every time. And failed every time, having to revert to being the ALPHA each time. He had hoped this one would be different.

“Tomorrow morning we are going to call an institute-wide meeting,” Dot said, ready to wrest some of the responsibilities from her friends' shoulders. “You are going to introduce me to the bunch of reprobates and you’re gonna hulk out on them. It's about time they learn who their Alpha is” she said with an evil grin, which turned into a full-on cackle when he started laughing.

“I’ve missed you, you crazy bitch” Magnus said, laughing harder when she jumped up, executing a graceful curtsey.

“This crazy bitch is here at your beck and call,” Dot said as she straightened up and grabbed the handles of her suitcases. She threw one across the room without warning, testing his reflexes, she laughed when he snagged it out of the air before it could crash into his face. “Come on, you can show me to my royal quarters,” she said as she dragged her other suitcase behind her.

“This way your majesty” Magnus said, leading her through the institute, past the scowling faces, to her room. He couldn't stop himself from laughing as she traipsed around the room, deeming it fit for purpose. Things were already starting to look up!

“So, what were you growling about when yours truly rocked up?” Dot asked as she flung herself on the bed, leaving the unpacking for later. Her grin faded when she saw the look on his face. She sat up, realising it was time to be serious. She loved playing the joker, but she would end anyone that put that look on her parabatai’s face.

“I received a text from Jia this morning,” Magnus said with a sigh. “I told her I wanted to sort this lot out before I tried to get a meeting set up with any of the downworlders, apparently she had other ideas though. She set up a meeting with the high warlock of Brooklyn, the new leader of all downworlders in New York, tomorrow on my behalf” he said, wishing he had something to kick.

“That was kind of her” Dot said with an eye-roll, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I love Jia but she sure knows how to throw you in at the deep end,” Dot said, feeling sorry for her Parabatai. She had heard of the guy before. Most shadowhunters had, he wasn't exactly known for his tolerance of the clave. She supposed it could only be a good thing Magnus would be the one to meet him. He could be extremely charming and diplomatic when he needed to be.

“Oh, don't feel sorry for me,” he said with a sly grin when he saw the pity on her face. “If I have to meet this warlock you are coming with me. She has thrown US into the deep end, not me” he said with a chuckle at her grimace, “prepare yourself, Dorothea, tomorrow, we meet Alexander Lightwood” he said with a sigh. This should be fun, he thought sarcastically to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the Omega's:  
> They are cherished, a mate in this world is akin to a soul mate, something to be treasued. The Alpha's or Betas that mate them would usually think if them as an equal, a true partner. The Omega's submisiveness are dependent on how powerful they are.  
> Take Alec for example, he is a powerful warlock, his magic is extremely powerful therefore he's less likely to be submissive.
> 
> It's all about how powerful you are in this society's eyes rather than your status, if you are a weak Alpha you get less respect than a strong omega. 
> 
> The Alpha's:  
> We have two different Alpha types. There's your regular Alpha then there is an ALPHA  
> Regular Alpha's are the usual, they vary in strength and can be weaker than Omega's. They will still want to be dominant towards other Alpha's when it comes to their mate/family or their position , like this is mine so don't touch, but their instincts play a big part, they will recognise a stronger Alpha.  
> The ALPHA'S are the strongest of the lot, usually in positions of power, not necessarily bc they have earned it but bc others will recognise that power in them and push them up the ladder. An Alpha will submit to an ALPHA. Magnus, Jia and Ragnor are all ALPHAS. They don't all love being the top dog (for lack of a better term) but will protect their position when others come for it (most alpha's want to be in a better position so will try and get to the top by networking and backstabbing if they are not powerful enough to take on an ALPHA) ALPHA vampires, werewolves and shadowhunter's are physically stronger, faster, better skilled which adds to their power or if they are a warlock or seelie they have stronger magic than others. They have a natural affinity for leadership,are more charismatic and are scary af when they go full alpha.
> 
> There are a lot of ALPHA'S in the clave, usually in positions of power for example head of institute, consul, inquisitor all tend to be ALPHA'S (which is the main reason the downworlders hate them. The downworlders are just as powerful but the clave are an arrogant bunch and use their superior number of ALPHA'S to their advantage) 
> 
> It all comes down to instincts, that fight or flight instinct would let any one of them know how powerful another person which determines where you end up in the hierarchy.
> 
> Alec isn't an ALPHA so he isn't necessarily more powerful than an ALPHA warlock would be, but he his more aggressive than most and still extremely powerful. The other downworlders instinctively recognise that he is not somebody to be messed with and he has a hatred for the clave that is legendary (which will be explored later on) which is why they make him their leader. 
> 
> Sorry for the ramble lol not sure I explained it very well :-o I might put this in the notes at the beginning of chapter 1 to make it a bit clearer for everyone
> 
> (please don't t hate me for my rambling)


	2. Chapter 2

Magnus’ eyes snapped open when he heard a commotion coming from down the corridor outside his room. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand 06.37, great, he had slept in!. He climbed out of his bed, swiftly throwing a plain black t-shirt on before opening his door and peering down the corridor. 

“..... see the vampires face…”

“.....s’nt expecting that…”

“keep….Bane will hear…”

Magnus sighed internally before marching through the door and following the voices down the corridor. He turned a corner to find Raj laughing and joking with two other shadowhunters, shaking something that rattled in his hand. Magnus had seen the two shadowhunters around over the last few days, Marcus Evergreen and Mateo Garcìa, he remembered. He grinned a predatory grin when Raj looked over his shoulder, catching sight of Magnus.

“Bane has already heard gentlemen,” Magnus said as he stalked toward the three men, his bare feet silent on the marble tiles “I suggest you hand that over Raj,” he said, pushing a fraction of Alpha into his tone, warning Raj that it would be in his best interests to comply. Magnus watched his internal struggle as he clutched the small jar tightly. “Don't make me ask again” Magnus growled as he held his hand out, smirking when the shadowhunter placed it in his hand.

Magnus looked down at the small jar in his hand, raising it to eye level to inspect its contents. His blood ran cold when he realized what was in the jar. He stared up at Raj, finding him glaring back, not an ounce of remorse on his face. Magnus barely stopped his hand from shooting out and gripping the man by his neck. “The three of you, in the Ops centre, five minutes” he breathed, turning on his heel to return to his room.

“We've been out on patrol all night Bane” he heard Raj say behind him, stopping Magnus in his tracks as the man sneered his name. “We are going to bed,” Raj said, causing Magnus to turn on his heel.

“It wasn't a request, it was an ORDER” Magnus roared, pushing a small amount of alpha into his tone. He remained expressionless as the three men took a step back, flinching when his tone washed over them. “You WILL be in the Ops centre in five minutes,” he said turning once again and storming down the corridor, almost ripping the door off its hinges when he flung it open and marched into his room, slamming it behind him. He snatched up his phone from the nightstand, dialling as he tried to breathe through the fury coursing through him.

“Dot, get dressed, Ops centre, five minutes” he snapped out when she groggily answered her phone. He mashed the end call button before sending an institute-wide text, demanding they all be in the Ops centre in five minutes time. He tapped the screen a few more times, sending another text before he threw his phone on the bed and got dressed. He stalked through the institute to the Ops centre. 

Magnus stood silently fuming as he waited for them all. Dot was first, strolling into the room with a shit eating grin on her face. It soon disappeared when he showed her the contents of the jar, seeing his horror mirrored on her face.

“Where did you get this?” Dot asked as she stared down at the jar Magnus showed her, catching the silent shake of his head. She could feel the anger rolling off him in waves, she didn't even feel sorry for whoever the target of his ire was, she was too disgusted. She looked up to see a few people shuffle into the room, yawning as they shuffled in. “are you fucking shitting me?” she asked Magnus as she stared at them, half of them weren't even dressed, still in their pyjamas “do you still think you will win their respect?” she asked, turning to her parabatai as he watched them with narrowed eyes.

Magnus counted them as they made their way into the room. He looked up at the clock, seeing that ten minutes had passed as the trickle of shadowhunters petered off. Only half of them had shown up. He stormed over to the computer screens, tapping away as he got angrier by the second, slamming his finger down on the enter button. A predatory grin spread across his face as the alarms started screaming, announcing a demon attack. It didn't take long for the room to fill up. He counted them as they all poured into the room, weapons ready, fifty of them all together. He turned the alarm off as the last of them arrived.

“So nice of you all to join us” Magnus shouted to the crowd as they all stared around, confused expressions on their faces. “What part of that text made any one of you think it was okay to ignore a direct command?” he barked out, watching as half of them scowled at him, nobody answers. He turned and walked over to join Dot at the top of the steps, catching her eye as she glared around.

“Everyone this is Dorothea Rollins, a few of you may know her already,” Magnus said as he stared down at them “She is now second in command at this institute. If she gives you an order, you will follow it without hesitation. She speaks for me and has full authority in all matters that are brought before her, do I make myself clear?” he snapped at them “I SAID DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” he roared out, pushing every ounce of Alpha into his tone that he could muster when they all stared insolently up at him.

Dot smirked when she saw the entire room cringe, their faces turning white as Magnus’ tone smacked into them, like a physical blow, she watched as heads started bowing, not one of them strong enough to look him in the eye. A few of the Omegas in the room even started to whine as they realised that they were in the presence of a true ALPHA.

It was only the fact that she was his parabatai, their bond lending her some of his strength, and oldest friend that she wasn't cringing back herself, having built up a tolerance to him over the years. He was powerful! Every instinct in her Alpha body was driving her to submit to him, to bear her neck and stare at the ground, she could only imagine what they were all experiencing. Her smirk turned into a full-blown grin when she saw faces start to turn towards her, staring up with incredulous expressions on their faces as she stood erect, staring down at them.

“RAJ” Magnus barked out, watching as Raj jumped, trying to stare up at him definitely “front and centre, and bring your friends” he snapped. He watched as the two Beta shadowhunters practically tripped over their feet to get to the front of the room, their instincts telling them to obey the powerful alpha, Raj trailing after them as slowly as he could. Magnus could see the tremble in the Alphas body as he desperately tried to fight his instincts, the instincts that were telling him to submit to the apex predator in the room, his Alpha instincts to fight, warring with the instinct to run from the stronger Alpha.

“Why don't you tell everyone what you had in your possession twenty minutes ago Raj?” Magnus asked when he finally made it to the front of the room. Magnus had realized he needed to make an example of Raj, to show them all that change was coming. “No? Fine, Raj, Marcus and Mateo were carrying a jar of Vampire fangs when they returned from patrol this morning ladies and gentlemen” he said, looking around the room. 

Magnus took note of the reactions to his statement, seeing who smirked and who was shocked, dividing them into two groups. He was pleased to find the group that seemed to approve of Raj’s actions was considerably smaller, about fifteen in all. Maybe there was hope for them yet. He didn't miss the smirk on Raj's face.

“Please, tell me, what is so funny?” Magnus whispered as he rounded on the shadowhunter, a vein almost popping in his neck as he fought back the urge to smack the smirk off the man's face. “These are someone's fangs. As if the act of taking them weren't despicable enough in itself, you think it’s okay to laugh about it?” Magnus shouted.

“He was a downworlder,” Raj said, trying to affect a nonchalant shrug, his eyes darting between Magnus and the floor as he tried to ignore the voice screaming in his head for him not to make eye contact with the enraged Alpha. “I'm a shadowhunter, he shouldn't have come for me. What did you want me to do? he asked, forcing a confidence that he didn't feel into his voice.

“If you are attacked by a downworlder, you take them down and bring them in, you do not take their FUCKING BODY PARTS!” Magnus roared. “Did you kill him?” he asked when he had gotten control of himself.

“Yes, of course I did,” Raj said angrily, staring at Magnus as if he were a particularly obtuse five-year-old. “He was a downworlder, I don't see what the big deal is” he muttered

“The ‘big deal’ is that I have a meeting with Alexander Lightwood in less than three hours” Magnus shouted, breathing through his nose as he tried to keep the Alpha to a bare minimum. “How do you think I am going to explain this to him?” he asked, 

“Why should I care what a warlock thinks of me?” Raj spat out defiantly, the Alpha in him surfacing and refusing to be cowed. “It was a vampire I took these from,” he said, staring into Magnus’ eyes as he scowled.

“That warlock has been made the leader of all downworlders in New York” Magnus roared in Raj's face. He saw the flinch as the man stared down at the floor. “The night children will not stand for this. They will see it as an act of war” he said, turning to look around at them all. “We are on the precipice of war. They will not stand for your treatment of them any longer, do any of you actually realize what will happen if i cannot persuade them not to retaliate. They are gearing up for a fight by making him their leader. A fight that we can not win, we don't have the numbers for a start” he roared at the room, unable to hold back his anger any longer. He saw several of the Betas take a step back, saw every Omega in the room bow their heads and every Alpha flinch, shaking as they tried to hold their heads up at his tone.

“Every one of you is now under review,” Dot said, stepping forward as Magnus tried to get a grip on himself. She saw the looks on their faces as they glared up at the two of them. “Your cases, actions and arrests will be reviewed….”

“Who are you two to come in here an….?” Raj piped up before clamping his mouth shut at the look Magnus gave him.

“One more fucking word and by the Angel I will de-rune you where you fucking stand,” Magnus said, pushing his tone out to wrap around Raj.

“You can’t do that” Raj screeched, glaring at Magnus with pure hatred in his eyes.

“I don't think any of you actually understand my position within the clave,” Magnus said, a dangerous glint in his eye as his gaze swept the entire room. “As the floating institute head, I have the power to shut this institute down if I see the need. I have the authority to walk into any institute and replace any institute head on the spot and, furthermore, I have the authority to de-rune any one of you without a second thought so don't fucking test me, I have taken down entire institutes and will do so again if you can not follow orders” he growled.

“I answer only to the consul. Jia Penhallow sent me here to clean up the mess Aldertree left in his wake and to whip the entire institute into shape. I am telling you now, you will conform to the new regime or you will find yourselves living with the mundanes. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” Magnus roared at the room.

“If you think we are going to bow down to the downworld, you have another thing coming” Raj shrieked, shaking with anger as he lunged at Magnus.

Magnus didn't hesitate, he ducked under the enraged shadowhunters out-stretched arms and grabbed Raj around the neck, sweeping his feet out from beneath him. twisting his body and dropping to one knee, he drove Raj’s body down into the floor by his throat with a roar. He pinned the shadowhunters arm to the floor with his knee and whipped his stele out, carving a breaking rune into the angelic rune on the man's arm with one quick fluid motion, before he could even register what was being done to him. 

“This is not the first time Mr Bane has had to do this” Dot said to the crowd, pacing up and down as they stared silently at Raj writhing on the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs. “And it will not be the last. It's time for a change ladies and gentlemen. Anybody else who feels they do not want to be part of the new regime, please, step forward and be de-runed” she said. Watching as every one of them averted their eyes. 

Magnus stood up when he heard the Institute doors open. “That will be our guests,” he said as a group of twelve shadowhunters entered the Ops centre. “They will be searching your rooms, anyone found in possession of any other body parts belonging to a downworlder will join these two in the cells,” Magnus said, pointing at Evergreen and Garcia, glaring around at the group. His eyes narrowed when he saw a few faces pale. “You will remain here while they search. Anyone that tries to leave this room will be detained” he said. 

“Dorothea, see to the details then come and find me,” Magnus said before storming from the room without a backwards glance. He needed a hot shower before he had to go and deal with Lightwood!

**

Alec Lightwood stared intently at the potion he was brewing. He stirred it once more before boiling it with a click of his fingers, smiling when it turned a pale, almost translucent golden colour. Perfect, he thought as he decanted it into a crystal bottle and wrapped a ribbon around the neck, the words ‘Lightwood’s magic emporium’ printed on the ribbon. Nobody could say their money was wasted when it came to the presentation of his products, he thought with a smile. He glanced up when his wards went off, a few seconds before a portal opened into the room.

“Just wait!” Izzy, his twin sister, said over her shoulder as she stepped into the room, closing the blinds with a wave of her hand before her mate, Simon Lewis stepped through the portal. “Three more orders,” she said as she handed him a piece of paper and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“So, has the shadowhunter arrived yet?” Simon asked by way of greeting, glancing into the corners of the room as if he expected the man to run at him with a stake. Which wasn't really such a strange reaction considering vampire hunting was considered a something of a sport at the New York Institute, they had come up with some very creative ways capturing and killing vampires. “I’ve heard he’s a hardass, a proper tyrant. I spoke to a few friends when I found out his name, they all said the same thing, apparently, Magnus Bane is extremely powerful, a true ALPHA. Not somebody you want to make an enemy of. Good job you are an extremely powerful warlock. You can put him on his ass if he tries anything” he said with a laugh

“Well, he’s due in half an hour, which probably means he will be here in about an hour. We will see when he turns up” Alec said with a scowl. Shadowhunter’s! “Why did they have to make me their leader? I was happy enough taking care of the warlock’s now I m responsible for everyone and I have to meet with the new head of the institute” he muttered angrily, not for the first time. He certainly hadn’t asked for the job.

“We made you our leader because you are one of the most powerful warlocks in New York. The night children wanted someone that could actually fight for them” Simon said, grinning at the grimace on his brother in laws face. “One of the most powerful after my beautiful wife of course” he added quickly when Izzy glared at him. “You are equally powerful?” he asked when Alec glared at him. They were far too competitive!

“Stop whining Alec, you are 275 years old, not 5,” Izzy said as she took the bottle from his hand and placed it into the waiting silk lined box, pressing the lid into place and hand tying a ribbon around the box. She sent it, with a wave of her hand, to the vampire that had ordered it. “What a vampire wants a love potion for is beyond me, why not just wait for your mate to come along?” she muttered as she turned to her brother. She saw him wince at her thoughtless words.

“Some of us don't have that luxury” Alec said, avoiding both their gazes, not wanting to see the pity he knew he would see on his sister or brother-in-law’s faces. “Some of us weren't born with a mate. It's fine” he said with a wave of his hand when he heard his sister start to speak. “I just need to grab something,” he said, rising to his feet and making his way down the small hallway that joined the storefront and workroom of his store. 

Alec's face fell as he closed the curtain over behind him upon reaching the store. As hard as he had tried to bury the feelings they always reared up. Every time somebody mentioned mates in a casual way like that, it hit him, like somebody was trying to rip his stomach from his body. He had no mate. He had travelled the world meeting warlock after warlock none of them where his Alpha. When his sister had mated Simon a hundred years ago he had gotten his hopes up. He had desperately searched, meeting vampires and werewolves alike, even going as far as visiting the Seelie court. There was nobody for him.

He had wondered time and time again if there was something wrong with him, was he defunct in some kind of way? He tried to be a decent person, kind and loyal. He worked hard and looked out for so many people, always making everyone else happy. Where was his own happiness? Where was his Alpha? Oh yeah, he didn't have one. He would live for an eternity watching those he cared about be happy and in love. He would watch his niece and nephew find their mates, raise their own families. And he would be stuck like this, on the sidelines, watching what he could never have. All he had ever dreamed of was a family of his own. 

He realized then that he hadn’t taken his potion. He stalked around the counter, wiping the angry tears he hadn't realised he was crying from his face and reached under the counter. He grabbed a bottle and drained it in one gulp, cringing at the taste. He stared down at the bottle, his only salvation from being an unmated omega, the potion that stopped his heats. It was his best invention and his best seller. His next heat was due in the next two weeks and he was already pushing his luck taking it this late.

If he didn't have an Alpha, he sure as hell wasn't going through that misery every three months, desperately trying to find some way of getting through those torturous three days alone was more than he could take. And he refused to partner up with unmated Alphas. Sure he’d had his fun and distractions over the last two hundred years but shacking up with some random guy for three days every few months was more of a headache than he needed. It was too hard to sustain any type of relationship or even an arrangement with somebody that wasn’t your Alpha so he had tried to resign himself to the fact that he would always be alone. It wasn't working!

He sighed when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway, shaking himself off and pushing his morbid thoughts down as best as he could, he turned and pushed his way through the curtain, meeting his sister halfway down the hall.

“Alec, I'm sorry. I should have thought about what I was saying” Izzy said, taking Alec's hand in her own and clutching it tightly. She looked into his hazel eyes, just that bit lighter than her own brown eyes, noting the red rims and damp eyelashes. She cringed internally when she thought of the news she had to share with him, deciding to just come out and say it as she led him back into his workshop. She took a deep breath, forcing herself not to cry. “There was another reason for our visit, other than bringing the order forms, Olivia has found her Alpha,” she said quickly, trying to soften the blow. 

Izzy stared at her brother as his eyes sort of glazed over. She watched as a shudder ran through his entire body, his shoulders sagging slightly as if a huge weight was being lifted from him. She heard his breath huff out in a deep sigh. “Alec… did you hear what I said?” she asked with a frown. This was not the reaction she was expecting when she told him the news of her daughter finding her mate.

Alec didn't hear a word his sister had said. He was too busy grinning to himself like an idiot. For some reason, he felt as if all his worries were floating away, one by one. He felt light, relaxed almost. He had this feeling in his stomach, not as if it were being ripped out, more like it was being rung out. This fluttering, giddy hopeful feeling. As if happiness was there in front of him, just out of reach. All he had to do was reach out and grab it. The thought made him laugh.

“Alec, are you okay?” Simon asked, rising from the stool he was sitting on when he heard his brother-in-law laugh. Alec didn't laugh, he barely even smiled, so sad all the time. He put his mask on when it came to anyone that wasn't family. But Simon had known him over a hundred years, and that noise rumbling through him was as alien as the thought of an Omega not having a mate. He stared at Alec, grinning away to himself.

“Alec,” Izzy said, shaking her brother. “Alec, are you listening to me? What is wrong with you?” she asked with genuine concern. Her eyes darted to her mate, he looked just as worried as she did.

Alec rose to his feet when he felt something push through the wards on the front door, a light brushing against the door handle. He frowned when it stopped, maybe he had imagined it. He sat back down again, a huge grin spreading across his face when that feeling returned, that wonderful, strange, beautiful feeling of peace, mixed with equal parts of anticipation. It was spreading through his entire body, pulling him in a thousand different directions. Something good was coming. He felt the wards go off again, he hadn't imagined it, maybe he had a customer.

“Alec, did you hear what I said? Olivia has found her mate” Izzy said, shaking Alec's shoulder to get his attention. She watched as he slumped in his chair, his eyes welling up as he inhaled a massive lungful of air, dragging in breath after breath through his nose as his eyes slammed closed. This was the reaction she had been expecting, kind of, maybe not the sniffing but the rest of it certainly. She almost shit herself when he barked ALPHA! Out at her. “Yes, she found her Alpha…..Alec?” she asked, staring at him.

Alec wasn't listening to his sister, he was listening to the voice in his head, screaming the same two words over and over again as the most amazing, intoxicating scent wrapped around him. The scent climbed into his nose, burrowing down into every cell that made up his body. 

He could feel it as if it were a tangible thing he could caress as it filled every hole in him, the hole in his gut, where he had been punched again and again whenever that feeling of loneliness rose up in him. The hole in his brain that told him he was unworthy of having somebody to love, somebody to love him. The hole in his heart, the hole that had been chipped away over the last two centuries, slowly but surely with each happy event that he had been a part of but apart from. And the hole in his soul, the hole that should be filled with a sliver of his mates' soul. And as it all crashed through him, he listened to that voice screaming those two words, again and again, ALPHA MATE ALPHA MATE ALPHA MATE. he couldn't stop the words from pouring from his mouth as he shuddered, inhaling the scent over and over again. The scent of sandalwood and honeysuckle and mint. And pure, raw Alpha. His Alpha. It was a heady combination.

“Izzy, he’s….. He’s…” Simon couldn't get the words out past the lump in his throat as he watched his brother in law. His mate was oblivious, not even taking in the scent that was wafting down the hallway from the storefront. She was too preoccupied with her brothers' reaction to realise what was happening to him. Simon pulled her away as Alec leapt from his seat and vaulted towards the hallway.

All Alec could think of was getting to his mate. He obviously had not travelled the world far enough, met enough warlocks. How long had he been missing out? How many years, decades, centuries had he spent lonely and miserable when he could have been with his Alpha? It was hard to think about that when he felt the happiness and relief sweep through him again and again as every instinct in his body dragged him towards the curtain at the end of the hall, pulled him irrevocably towards his future, his happiness, his mate!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept imagining Ron Weasley after he ate Rommilda vein's love potion sweets on HP when I was typing Alecs reaction to the proximity of his Alpha lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting!

“I hate going Alpha on them,” Magnus said as he and Dot crossed the street, both of them activating their runes as they walked, they both had a lot “it’s the same every time! Can’t I just once walk into an institute that isn't full of disrespectful assholes?” he asked, rolling his eyes when she smirked.

“You would be out of a job if you walked into an institute full of decent hardworking shadowhunters. Get these for me” Dot said absentmindedly as she yanked the back of her shirt up so he could activate the runes on her back. “you should have seen Raj when I escorted him to his room to collect his things. He cried like a baby, muttering about how you left him defenceless against the night children” she said with a grin as they dodged out of the way of a group of schoolgirls, oblivious to the two shadowhunters skirting their group.

“He stole a vampire's fangs!” Magnus said incredulously, running his stele over the agility rune between her shoulder blades “did he think he could get away with that without facing the consequences, he’s lucky I didn’t haul his ass off to the Gard, I wouldn't be surprised if Lightwood demands we turn him over to the downworld. How long has this been happening? By the Angel, how many of them are involved? I saw several of them pale when we I said their rooms would be searched. What else will turn up?” he asked as he scrubbed a hand through his spiked hair.

“They had almost completed their search when we left, we will find out when we get back,” Dot said as they turned a corner. “Tell me again why we are meeting the warlock in his store and not the institute?” she asked, huffing at the pace he set.

“Because the warlock refused to come to the institute” Magnus said as they dodged across another road, yanking the back of his own shirt up so she could activate the multitude of runes on his back, he had ran out of space on his chest, arms and legs years ago and had had to have her carve a lot of them into his back “He won't set foot in that nest of vipers, I can't say I blame him but it is inconvenient, especially in light of what I found this morning, there's a shitstorm of epic proportions heading our way Dorothea, I can feel it coming. As Jia said, we need him, we need to make an ally of him before he becomes another giant pain in my ass....."

“Are you okay?” Dot asked when she heard him cut off with a sigh. She watched him as she activated his last rune and dropped the hem of his shirt, noting the looseness of his shoulders, the change of his gait, his pace quickening as he walked, she almost had to run to keep up with him. 

“Yes, surprisingly enough, I am,” Magnus said. He felt lighter with every step he took, like a huge weight was being lifted from him. The further from the institute they got, the easier it was to breathe. He hadn't realized just how stressed he was until that moment. He smiled when they cut through a park, seeing the children running around, screaming at the top of their lungs.

“Woa, it's been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that” Dot said as she grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks as she stared at him. “Whats going on?” she asked, taking in his peaceful expression, the relaxed posture and tap of his foot as he grinned at her.

“What?” Magnus asked with a grin as he linked his arm through hers and pulled her forward. He had expected to feel more and more stressed out the closer they got to their destination, but he felt the opposite. It was as if something was pulling him in that direction. He felt a…. rightness, like it was where he was meant to be. He laughed when he caught his parabatai watching him. “What? What are you staring at?” he asked.

“you, you’re acting weird, when was the last time you were this happy?” she asked when he started whistling. “Did you have some ‘alone’ time in the shower or something?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him, smiling when he laughed, properly laughed, with all his teeth out. It was her favourite laugh “no seriously though, you look like you’re….. free” she said, mashing her eyebrows into a thin line as she described it. It didn't quite seem right, more like he was at peace?

“I feel good,” Magnus said with a shrug as he looked across the street, seeing their destination. The sign said Lightwood’s antiquities and the store was locked up tight, an abandoned look to the place that had him frowning. He saw the glamour fall away as they crossed between a couple of parked cars and stepped onto the sidewalk outside the store they were supposed to be meeting the warlock at. It looked inviting he thought as he glanced through the window, seeing a cosy looking soft glow. He glanced back up at the sign to see that it now said Lightwood’s magic emporium.

“Come on,” Magnus said excitedly, dragging her towards the store, feeling an almost giddy, lightheaded sensation rush through him. He felt his stomach doing somersaults and his heart starting to beat a little faster as he reached for the handle of the door. He had to take a minute to compose himself. What was wrong with him!? Every cell of his body was trying to drag him forward, every single one of his instincts pushing him towards the store. As if there was something vital that he HAD to get to inside. A low growl, full Alpha, rumbled through him when Dot put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from entering the store. He couldn't stop it from ripping out of him when she spun him on the spot.

Dot took a step back, staring at him when Magnus’ growl turned into a full-on snarl. She almost dropped her gaze and bent her neck to him. Almost. It was close, she had to fight her entire body as her head screamed at her to run, to hide, to submit. “Magnus…. Are you… what… are you...okay?” she stuttered out as her heart raced in her chest making her head pound with the force of the blood rushing through it.

“Dorothea…. I’m sorry… I don't know what came over me” Magnus said, he felt like a complete asshole when he saw the muscles in her neck clench with the strain of keeping her head up. “I'm so sorry,” he said, hating himself for unleashing himself on her. The careful control he usually held over himself disappearing the second she had tried to stop him entering the store. Even now his eyes kept straying to the door. He desperately wanted turn and walk through that door. It was a need he didn't understand, could barely control.

“Magnus stop!” Dot said when she saw him start to turn, taking an involuntary step towards the store, she flinched at the glare he directed at her but ploughed on “we need to go in there with a plan, not just barrel in gung-ho. What is wrong with you?” she asked when he tried to turn away again, his eyes fixed on the door. Was he even listening to her?

“Dorothea, I need to get in there,” Magnus said desperately. The longer they stood outside the more his instincts drove him. It was like a physical pull now, his entire being screaming at him to get into the store, by any means necessary. He didn't even realize he was moving as he spun around and grabbed the handle, yanking the door open and stepping into the threshold before she could stop him.

Every one of Magnus’ senses went into overdrive as the scent hit him at a hundred miles an hour, like a brick wall, forcing the air from his lungs as he stopped breathing. His eyes scanned the entire room in one sweep, taking in every detail before his stunned brain could fully comprehend what he was seeing. His body started to shake, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the handle of the door with one hand and the door frame with the other as the scent wrapped around him. He gasped as his straining lungs finally filled with air, forcing his eyes to slam shut as a wave of dizziness crashed through him.

It took his addled brain a moment to catch up with the rest of his body but he almost collapsed in the doorway when it finally did, forcing him forward as it screamed at him. MINE MINE MINE his mind screamed as the scents separated. He took in a deep lungful of air as he sifted through the different notes, his eyes continuing to sweep the empty room as he inhaled. Sandalwood, jasmine, musk and something so primal that it scraped at the deepest parts of him. Worming its way into his heart and burying itself in his soul, Omega. Pure, beautiful, perfect Omega.

His Omega. His mate. The other half of him. His head sagged as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His brain screaming at him. MINE. OMEGA. CLAIM. OMEGA. MINE. the words repeating over and over again. He didn't realize he was moving until he looked up. The sound of footsteps breaking through the words pounding through his head. He realized then, the words were not just running through his head, they were pouring from his mouth. His eyes snapped to the curtain next to the counter as it was thrown aside, revealing a doorway. 

Alec almost ripped the curtain from its rail, he was so desperate to get to the source of the all-consuming scent that had taken hold of his limbs, forcing him forward, that he was completely oblivious to anything around him. He took no notice of his sister and her mate, following a little more cautiously. He forgot all about his meeting with Magnus Bane. all he could think of was getting to his mate. After all these years it was finally his turn to find a chance of happiness and a flimsy sheet of material, even if it was an irreplaceable 16th-century family heirloom tapestry gifted to him by Queen Victoria herself, for his services in enabling her to bear children, was not going to stand in his way. 

Magnus stopped breathing again when his eyes zeroed in on the man standing in the doorway, breathing hard as he stared right back. Magnus drunk every detail of him in as the man took a step forward, his entire body shaking. He devoured the black hair, the perfectly arched eyebrows, a tiny little scar in one of them, breaking the perfect symmetry but adding to their perfection rather than detracting. He saw a jaw, so sharp it could cut a diamond at fifty paces. A tall muscular body, his physique plainly obvious even through the white shirt and dark jeans he wore. And his arms! By the Angel! Magnus thought as he stared at the man's arms, his forearms exposed where his shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, he was pretty sure he was about to have a heart attack when he saw them. His gaze swept over the wide shoulders and trim waist before his eyes swept back up the man's body to meet his gaze. He stared into those eyes, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. 

Alec took an involuntary step forward. He could see nothing but his Alphas beautiful brown eyes, he couldn't tear his gaze from them as his pupils blew and his vision tunnelled. He lost track of the seconds, minutes, hours? As he stood staring at those perfect eyes, the colour of the finest dark Ecuadorian chocolate. He drew a lungful of air into his straining lungs as his gaze swept over the rest of his face, taking in the beautiful deep golden skin tone, the square jaw, the adorable almost triangular shaped eyebrows, the perfect spikes of his mohawk and the most beautiful lips he'd ever seen. He stared at the perfect shape of his cupids bow, almost biting into his own bottom lip when he saw the perfectly proportioned bottom lip quirk up at the corner before his gaze swept back up to land unerringly on those eyes, he couldn't even break eye contact to look at the rest of his Alphas body, he was too lost. He felt his soul settle in place as he stared at the other half of him, as he stared at his home.

Magnus hadn’t realized that either of them had moved until it dawned on him that he could see every colour in the man's hazel eyes. Multiple shades of brown, more than he realized existed, with an equal amount of shades of green and the odd fleck of grey all mixed together and swirled around a small orange ring, wrapped around each pupil. Pupils that were getting larger by the second as they dilated. He felt the furious beating of his heart and the expansion of his lungs, finally filling with oxygen again as his world fell into place and his soul settled inside him, just in time to hear his Omega to speak.

“Hi, I’m Alexander Lightwood,” his Omega said in a sinfully beautiful deep voice that shot right through Magnus, a dazzling smile breaking through his mates' perfectly plump lips, at the exact same time Magnus introduced himself, a huge grin almost splitting his face in half.

Magnus felt his mates breath float over his face, where it was almost pressed against his as the words registered, punching a gaping hole through his lungs as his entire world fell apart.

He had found his mate. His mate was a downworlder. The one thing that, as a shadowhunter, was forbidden to him.

Alec felt as if somebody had shoved a knife into his chest, his heart shattering into a thousand tiny shards when the words Magnus Bane fell from his mates lips

“FUCK,” they said in unison as they stared at each other. Their worlds burning to ash as they each stared at something they wanted so badly, something they each needed so desperately but could never have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll really aren't prepared for the next chapter. I'm not even ready for it!


	4. Chapter 4

“Fuck!” Magnus roared, losing control completely as he spun on the spot, a deep, full Alpha snarl ripping from him as he slammed his fists down on the counter, a crack running through the entire length of the Carrara marble slab, making everyone else cringe and step back from the enraged Alpha. Everyone but Alec. 

Alec couldn't move a muscle, his control over himself slowly fraying thread by thread as his eyes slammed closed. His hands balled up into tight fists, his fingernails cutting into his palms as his magic ripped through his body. He felt it push out of him, barely erecting a barrier around himself to protect them all in time before he let it consume him. He screamed out the centuries of pain and loneliness, all of his anger and bitterness and sadness.

Magnus whipped around when he heard the sound, the furious, desolate scream that ripped from his Omega. The sound was like a thousand razorblades being scraped over his soul. It cut through his own pain and anger and frustration, his Omega should never have to make that sound. He took half a step forward before he saw the bubble of magic his mate was encased in, he couldn’t get to him. The thought had him freezing in his tracks. His omega, his mate that he couldn't have, couldn't touch. He couldn't take him in his arms and comfort him and tell him it would be okay. He couldn't fight what was hurting his mate, how can you fight yourself?

Dot stared at her parabatai as he dragged his hands through his hair, She could see the internal struggle he was going through. She watched him take a step forward then one back over and over again. It had taken her a moment to realise what was happening, it wasn't until the warlock had run through the doorway that she understood his bizarre reaction upon entering the store. It had slowly dawned on her why he had been acting so odd. He had found his mate, a downworlder, something that rarely happened to a shadowhunter. 

She had never understood his desperation to find his mate, all they do is cause heartbreak and destroy each other, she had seen the damage first hand. He hid it from the rest of the clave but she was his parabatai, she knew how long he had waited for this, she knew he had already given up hope. She watched his every move, clutching the two seraph blades she had pulled out when he had lost it. She saw it then, the exact moment he clammed up and shut down. She didn't know whether to be relieved or to shake some sense into him. She hated it when he closed himself off like that, but he would have to in order to put a stop to this before it went any further. It was all for the best, she thought.

“Stop!” Magnus said, watching his ma…. The warlock continue to rage inside his shield. He couldn't think like that, he couldn't have his mate, and thinking of the warlock as such wouldn’t help things. “Mr Lightwood, stop” he boomed out, trying to push the Alpha into his tone. He hated himself fiercely, feeling his gut twist, for doing it but the man was going to hurt somebody if he continued, maybe even himself. The thought had his breath catching before he shut it down.

Being addressed as Mr Lightwood washed over Alec like a bucket of icy water being dumped over his head. The tone his Alpha had used cutting into him. Not because of the power behind it, and there was power behind that command for sure, it was the coldness, the icy tone he had used. He reigned his magic in, shoving it down in an instant, dropping the shield as stared at his mate.

“Mr Lightwood?” Alec asked, his tone just as cold and sterile as the shadowhunters was “really? Mr Lightwood? That's how you are going to play this?” he asked as he stared at the man in disbelief.

“Mr Lightwood, we are here to discuss our differences and try to come up with some sort of solution for the problems that have arisen between our two peoples,” Magnus said, not daring to make eye contact. He forced himself to look around the store, noticing the two people that had followed his Omeg….. The warlock from behind the curtain for the first time. A beautiful woman who had stepped into the room and man, partially hidden in the doorway behind her.

Magnus would normally have stepped forward and shaken hands with all parties when meeting with a delegation from either the clave or the downworld, but that would have meant having to step around the warlock and at that moment he didn't trust himself to take a step closer to the man.

Alec watched his Alpha retreat, walking back towards the woman he had entered the store with. He couldn't believe the words that come from his Alphas mouth, had he seriously just said that? He took a moment to study the shadowhunter, his gaze sweeping up and down the man's body, he finally took in the runes that's covered his exposed arms, how had he not noticed? His eyes swept Magnus’ entire body seeing the black utilitarian cargo pants, tightly laced boots and the tight-fitting black t-shirt. He saw the weapons in the double thigh holster and hanging from the back of his belt, the guy looked as if he was about to raid a mundane drug den. His eyes snapped back up when he caught the way his mate scrubbed his hands through his hair, almost yanking it out. Demons below, he beautiful!

“Oh? We need to discuss the differences between our people do we?” Alec snapped out as he stared at the man, the beautiful man that he wanted to touch. He wanted it badly, to stalk forward and wrap himself up in his Alpha. His breath caught in his chest at the thought. “You don't think we should talk about…?”

“There is nothing to talk about,” Magnus interrupted coldly, wrapping his heart up in a sheet of iron as his stomach dropped through the floor. Saying the words made him feel sick he couldn't even meet the warlocks eye. “It can't happen, you must know that it is forbidden,” Magnus said, staring at a spot off to the right of that beautiful face that he longed to gaze at.

“Those are your rules not mine,” Alec said. He saw the shake of his Alphas body, the only outward sign that the situation was having any effect on him at all. He watched as the shadowhunter turned away “your clave makes those rules, not the downworld” he said angrily, right then he didn't give a fuck about some outdated clave rule, not after all these years, not when he had finally found his mate, his mate who couldn't even look him in the eye.

“The law is hard, but it is the law,” Magnus said in a monotone, he had always followed that ethos, rules were there for a reason, the clave and the downworld do not mix. He had never thought he would hate saying those words. Right now he hated the words with a fierce passion, he wished he had never heard the stupid sentence. He walked back to Dot's side, stealing himself to turn back to the three people behind him. “I am Magnus Bane, head of the New York Institute and this is Dorothea Rollins my second in command,” he said, introducing them to the two people that had accompanied his mat…. The warlock. He noticed that the woman looked like the warlock, a family member maybe? And he was pretty sure the man standing in the darkened hallway, avoiding the sunlight that was pouring through the window, was a vampire.

Alec stared at his Alpha, he was seriously going to try and brush him off like that? The law? The fucking law!? He glanced back at Izzy when he felt her hand grip his shoulder. He hadn't realised he had taken a step forward until she started to pull him back. He glared at the two shadowhunters across the room. His mate acting as if he didn't feel the pull, didn't hear the voice screaming in his head, screaming at him to get closer to his mate, to reach out and lose himself in the one person meant for him. He knew without a doubt that if that was what was happening to him it sure as hell was happening to his Alpha. It was like a physical ache in his stomach, the need to be touched.

“I am Isabelle, Alec's sister, this is my mate, Simon,” Izzy said, gripping the back of her brothers' shirt as he tried to take another step towards the shadowhunter. She felt as if her own heart were being torn out when she felt a shudder run through his body. Her wonderful, caring, amazing brother had finally found his mate, only for it to be ripped from him so cruelly. It wasn't fair! He deserved this, he deserved love and a family and a future, he deserved everything. She couldn't even imagine what would it would have been like not to be able to touch Simon when they had first met. She reached back and gripped her mates hand with her free hand as she felt the lump rise up in her throat.

“Is there somewhere we can go to discuss our business?” Magnus asked, keeping his gaze on the woman, he couldn't bear to look at the warlock, he didn't trust himself not to break his resolve if he looked into those beautiful eyes. His stomach tightened at the thought. They really where the most breathtaking pair of eyes he had ever seen. He locked the muscles in his neck as he felt his head start to turn in his ma… the warlocks direction.

“No, there isn't anywhere we can go to discuss our ‘business’” Alec said incredulously. “We need to talk about this Magnus,” he said, realising it was the first time he had spoken his mates' name aloud. He shook his sisters hand off as he started to pace back and forth restlessly, his eyes darting back to his mate on every turn of his heel. He needed to get to his mate, to look into those gorgeous brown eyes and see reassurance there, to see acceptance.

Magnus turned away, slamming his eyes closed at the shudder that ran through his body when his name fell from the man's lips. He felt his heart constrict at the sound of it. He replayed the word over and over again in his head, hating himself for it. It was like torture, a torture he couldn't stop inflicting on himself. He flinched when he felt Dot take his hand before gripping it tightly, desperately using her hand as an anchor to try and steady himself in the swirling mess that was running through his head.

Dot stared at her parabatai as he turned away from them, dropping the mask he had so carefully pulled across his features, she could feel the tremble of his hand, could see the clenching of the muscles of his arm as he gripped her hand. She had never seen him like this, he was always so controlled, so strong whenever he faced an impossible situation, but this? It had been a long time since she had seen him lose any of his rigid self-control and she had never seen that look on his face before, that gut clenching look of absolute desolation. 

She knew the others in the room would see an unfeeling, cold exterior, thinking him unaffected by the situation but she knew better, she knew him like nobody else. Seeing the rigid way he held himself, the way he wouldn't look the warlock in the eye, the shake of his entire body as he held himself back, it made her want to take him in her arms and hug the pain away, something she had never felt the need to do before. She would usually just tell him a joke or a funny story and he would snap out of his funk and move on. But this, this look of agony on his face made her want to hold him close and protect him from it all. She wouldn't though, not in front of them, she wasn't sure he wouldn't be able to stop himself from crumbling.

“How about we all take a moment to collect ourselves?” Simon asked, watching everyone in the room. Even as an Alpha he felt like flinching at the tension rolling through the room in waves, between Alec and Magnus, they had managed to put everyone on edge. He could see Alec's agitation as he paced up and down, something he would never do in front of a shadowhunter in any other situation. He didn't miss the silent shake of his mates head as she watched her brother.

Alec couldn't stop the whine that was building in his chest, his Omega instincts pushing it out of his mouth, Calling to the Alpha in Magnus. He should be on the other side of the room with his mate, his mate who was still turned away from him. He wanted to run over there and pull Magnus’ hand from the grip his friend, Dorothea he remembered, and take it in his own. It was like a physical need, he could almost feel the hand in his own. The feeling pushed the pitch of the whine higher.

Magnus almost broke at the sound the warlock was making, his head starting to turn of its own volition before he managed to reign himself in. The sound clawed at the inside of his head, the sound of his Omega in distress. It was the worst sound an Alpha could hear, he should be the one protecting him from whatever had him making it, not the one causing it. He stared at Dot beseechingly, silently begging her to do something, anything to make it stop when he couldn't do it himself.

Alec took another step towards his Alpha, unable to stop himself. He stopped when he saw the tension in his shoulders, the way he flinched as Alec got closer to him. He watched as his mate spun on his heel to look at Simon, to look at Izzy, to look at the fucking curtain! Anywhere but at him. It had his blood boiling, his Alpha wouldn't even look him in the eye.

“LOOK AT ME!” Alec screamed when he could take it no longer, the tension he could feel from his mate, rolling in waves across the room to sweep over him. “Look at me, not them. Stop acting as if you don't care, as if this isn't affecting you just as much as it is me” Alec said, wiping the angry tears from his eyes as he glared at his Alpha. 

Magnus flinched as the sound of his mat… the warlocks scream tore through him. He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and locking his body down to look at the man. He wasn't prepared for the sight that met him, the shake of his entire body, the tears he was trying to wipe away, the angry flush that had spread across his beautiful face. The pain and devastation and anger he saw there. It was too much! The sight of him like that pushed all his frustration up through his body in a furious growl that erupted from his mouth before he could stop it, making them all flinch again, everyone except his Ome…. Alexander. 

Magnus could see the muscles in his neck straining, the clench of his jaw as he held his head up high, refusing to back down. A fierce pride welled up in Magnus at that moment, Alexander was strong! He clamped down on the feeling. If he wasn't going to let himself give in to his own nature, to every instinct that was trying to push him towards the man, then he would not allow himself to feel the pride that stirred at his mat.. The warlocks victory. He didn't deserve to!

“We need to talk about this” Alec said, stalking forward, finally giving in to the instincts that were pushing him forward. “We need to talk about us..” he cut off when he saw his Alpha take a step back, a terrified look on his face. The look scraped at his chest, his Alpha looked scared of him.

“We can't,” Magnus said, wanting nothing more than to take a step forward, to sweep his ma… to sweep the man up in his arms and hold him close, to never let go of him. But he couldn't, so he took another step back, terrified of what he would do if ….the warlock got any closer, fighting his entire body to take the step. The frustration welled up in him again as he saw first the hurt then the Anger that swept across the warlocks features.

“Don't tell me you don't want this Magnus,” Alec said angrily, taking another step forward when he saw his mate flinch at his name “how can you deny what there is between us? We both know that this is meant to be” he choked out when he saw the shudder that ran through Magnus’ beautiful body as he got closer. Demons below he wanted to run his hands over that body, to wrap himself up in his Alphas arms and scent, the scent that was reaching out and caressing every inch of his body. “You won't be able to fight it forever, we both know that we are mat…”

“Dont…. Don't say it, Alexander” Magnus cried, wincing at the sound of his tone when he growled out the name as the Alpha in him emerged, wanting to take the Omega. He trembled when he saw the shudder run through Alec at the sound of his name, his hands clenching as the pupils of those mesmerizing hazel eyes blew up, dilating in an instant. He almost shrieked in frustration when the scent, the scent of his unmated Omega hit him again, scraping at his lungs. It made him want to push the man down and claim him then and there for anyone to see.

“You know we cant be together” Magnus growled out, frustrated beyond belief “by the Angel! do you think I don't want this? That every single cell of my entire body isn't fighting to get to you? That it doesn't rip my heart out and scrape at my soul to turn away from you? From what we could be? We…. cant…. Were from two different worlds” he growled angrily, yanking at his hair with frustration, hating himself, hating what he was, what Alexander was. “Do you think I haven't waited and prayed and begged for a mate? We can't!” he said. He wanted to scream out his pain and loneliness as his Ome…. the warlock had.

“You won't even discuss it?” Alec muttered angrily “you're going to turn away and pretend it's not happening because I'm a warlo…?”

“No, its because you are a warlock and I am a shadowhunter, you know it is not allowed,” Magnus said brokenly, turning away and dragging Dot towards the door, he needed to leave, barely able to hold himself back any longer.

“Then you should know, I will not give up on you, on this” Alec said, watching as his Alpha stopped in his tracks, his back ramrod straight and shoulders shaking. “You can't run from it, Magnus. I am your Omega and you are my Alpha” he said as the tears welled up, the pain of seeing his Alpha with his back to him crashing through him in an uncontrollable wave.

Magnus had to force himself not to turn around at the statement his mate, his Omega had made. The Alpha in him needed to turn and claim the Omega who had called him his Alpha. Forcing himself to walk through the door was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

Izzy ran forward when she saw her brother collapse. She threw herself onto the floor next to him and pulled his shaking body into her chest, stroking his hair back as he sagged into her arms and sobbed into her neck. She wanted to scream right along with him when he could hold the high pitched keening in no longer. She had no words for him as he screamed his pain and loneliness out. So she just held him tighter, rocking him back and forth.

Alec felt like his gut had just been ripped from him, like somebody had dragged his beating heart from his chest and was scraping the hollow, empty space left behind with a blunt knife. He could barely breathe as he screamed out his pain, clutching desperately at his sister to keep himself from falling over the edge of the abyss his Alpha had left behind as he walked out of the door.

Magnus made it as far as the alleyway at the end of the street before he lost it, he felt physically sick. He sank to the ground, barely able to see from the tears that filled his eyes, and curled up into a ball, folding in on himself. He couldn't breathe! He lay there shaking and sobbing, unable stop himself from trying to fight her off when he felt Dots arms come around him.

“Stop!” Dot commanded him. She might not have been an ALPHA but she was still a powerful Alpha in her own right, so she commanded him to stop fighting, pulling him in when he stopped. She almost cried when his arms came around her. She clutched him tightly, letting him cry it out. She didn't know how to comfort him, she had never seen him lose it like this. She had never wanted a mate so she did not understand his need for one, but it tore at her to see her strong, powerful parabatai so broken.

“What k..k... kind... of... Alpha am... I... Dor...othea? I rejected him.... I rejected my ..m.. m..ate” Magnus gasped out, desperately trying to breathe through the gaping hole in his chest as the tears poured down his face. His Omega, his mate, the mate he had so desperately needed was lost to him forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm off to cry in the corner now.


	5. Chapter 5

Dot threw her pen across Magnus’ office, almost yanking her hair out as another wave of self-hatred reached her through her parabatai bond with Magnus. It had been the same for the last two days, a constant flow of anger, desperation, pain and self-loathing, over and over again, interspersed with short periods of numbness, a void of nothing where he clammed up and retreated into himself, trying to hide from it all.

She couldn't take any more of it. She was just about holding the institute together. She had begged, cajoled, shouted and tried to bribe him into leaving his room, to come back to work and try and put it behind him, he wouldn't listen though. She jumped to her feet and stormed through the institute, glaring at anyone who dared look at her, maybe it was time to order him to pull himself together, it was for his own good!

Magnus stared up at the crystal chandelier hanging above the foot of his bed, counting, constantly counting. 972. The chandelier had 972 crystal drops. There were 8 different shapes to the crystals that hung from it, which was funny, he thought because the remaining matching table lamp on his nightstand only had 100 crystal drops and there were only 4 different shapes. Circle, square, rectangle, pear, then it repeated. Circle, square, rectangle, pear. The chandelier matched but it was different. The geometric pattern on his curtains was made up 1800 gold intersecting lines, or was it 1600? He couldn't remember. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…..

“It stinks in here,” Dot said as she barged into Magnus’ room. The sight of him buried in in the blankets and pillows in the middle of his bed, staring at the curtains and quietly muttering to himself almost broke her resolve, but she had to do something to snap him out of it, she needed him. He hadn't eaten anything since they had returned from Alec's store he'd just holed himself up in his room and roared at anyone who had tried to approach, including her. 

She stared at him, muttering away to himself through the void of nothingness that had consumed him. Was he counting? “When was the last time you had a wash Magnus?” she asked, picking her way through his destroyed room and flinging his curtains open to let the fading afternoon sun in. 

Dot flinched when she heard the low growl coming from the direction of his bed, she turned to see him squinting up at the chandelier, his eyes darting back and forth as he started muttering furiously again. She looked around at the destruction he had wrought, the broken lamps and furniture, the destroyed artwork and shredded pillows, the place was a wreck! It was almost as much of a wreck as her parabatai.

“Magnus, it's been two days. The entire institute is going to shit” Dot said as she stared at her parabatai, who completely ignored her. She turned on her heal and stormed into his bathroom, turning the shower on before pulling her stele out and activating the strength rune on her right hip. She marched back into his bedroom and flung the covers back. Gripping the neck of his t-shirt she dragged him from the bed ignoring the snarl that ripped from him. She smirked when his feet couldn't find purchase on the slippery tiles as she dragged him into the bathroom, bodily shoving him into the shower.

“DOROTHEA!” Magnus roared as the icy water cascaded over his head. He tried to scramble out of the shower, slipping on the tiled floor before she slammed her foot into his stomach, pinning him under the water. “LET ME OUT OF HERE NOW!” he roared when she wouldn't let up. He shuddered under the freezing cold water, clawing at her leg. All he could do was pull her under the water, glaring up at her when she grabbed hold of his chin.

“You are a leader, an ALPHA, not a sixteen-year-old mundane pining after her first crush” Dot roared at him as she gripped his face. It took everything she had not to back away at the snarl, that ripped from his mouth. She refused to shiver as the icy water poured over the both of them, locking her body down tight. By the Angel the water was cold! 

"ALEXANDER LIGHTWOOD IS NOT A CRUSH, HE'S MY MAT......." Magnus snarled before reigning himself in when he saw the shocked look on her face before she shut it down.

“Get a wash and get dressed” she commanded him, pushing every ounce of Alpha she possessed into her tone before jumping out of the shower and slamming the door closed behind her. She stalked out of the bathroom, shuddering when she slammed the bathroom door behind her. She needed a drink or two, he was still thinking of Alec as his mate! she sighed as another shudder ran through her, she would have to settle for some dry clothes.

Magnus shivered as he lunged for the temperature control on the shower, turning the hot water on before ripping the sodden t-shirt and boxers from his body. He sagged into the wall, slamming his eyes shut as everything crashed through him at once, everything that had happened, everything he had done. He despised himself for what he had done to his mat…. To the warlock. He shuddered again, unable to stop the tears as he sank to the floor and dropped his head into his hands. What kind of Alpha rejects his mate? 

Angel's above he missed him! The thought had his head snapping up. How could you miss someone you didn't even know? A bitter laugh burst from him at the thought. He had been missing Alexander for the last ten years, he’d just never had a name or face to go with the ache in his stomach that was his absent mate.

He stood up, resigning himself to the fact that that gaping hole would never be filled. He clung to the pain that ripped through him with every other beat of his heart, savagely forcing himself to feel every ounce of it, it was what he deserved. He grabbed the soap and started to clean himself up, Dot had been right, he was a mess.

*

Dot barged back into the room, silently praying that her parabatai was dressed, she really didn't need that visual. She smiled when she saw him sitting on the end of the bed pulling his boots on. “You still look like shit but at least you smell better” Dot said as she handed him a large mug of coffee and a grilled cheese sandwich. 

“Magnus Bane you had better eat that, I cooked it myself and you know how much I hate cooking,” she said, glaring down at him when he had tried to put the plate aside. “Have you even slept in the last two days?” she asked him, taking in the bags under his red-rimmed eyes, the slump of his shoulders and curvature of his spine. He looked like he had the weight of the world pressing down on him.

“I'm fine Dorothea,” Magnus said, taking a deep breath before he started shovelling down her heinous cooking, barely chewing it as he tried to get it down quickly before he had actually tasted any of it. His parabatai was lethal in combat, she had the funniest jokes and best stories and she made a wicked cocktail that could put an alcoholic on his ass after three sips. Cooking, however, was NOT one of her many talents! He knew she would pin him down and force feed him if he didn't eat though so he inhaled it as fast as he could.

“We have a lot to discuss,” Dot said as she opened the windows to air the room out before grabbing his empty plate with a smile, he never could resist her cooking! Maybe he would want seconds? She wondered. “Come on, we can get some more before I lay all the shit that has happened over the last few days on you,” she said.

“NO….. no, I'm quite full Dorothea, thank you,” Magnus said quickly, jumping to his feet and swigging his coffee down as he avoided her eyes. “Come on, we can discuss it in my office,” he said, leading her from the room. Magnus ignored the curious looks he received on their way through the institute, too busy thinking about Alexander as they headed for his office. His shoulders sagged a little as Dot closed the door behind her.

“I’ve had to suspend eight shadowhunters altogether,” Dot said, dumping his empty plate on a shelf and slumping down into the chair in front of Magnus’ desk. “We found Vampire fangs, werewolf fangs and claws, some weird vine/tentacle that looks as if it may have come from a Seelie and a horrendous framed patch of green skin which the pathologist believes came from a warlock,” Dot said with a shiver. “We also found a large quantity of Yin Fen,” she said, staring at the floor.

Magnus’ head snapped up at the last statement she had made. He had barely been listening, too busy wondering what Alec was doing. The last sentence broke through the haze of misery clouding his head and had his gaze zeroing in on her though. “Dorothea….. Are you okay?” he asked her. He reached over the desk and gave her hand a quick squeeze when he saw the shake there. 

“I'm fine,” Dot said, avoiding his gaze “its fin…”

“Dot, remember who you're speaking to,” Magnus said, tugging on her hand until she looked up at him, he wasn't the only one that clammed up when it came to personal issues. “I was there Dottie, both times, I remember what it was like,” he said gently. He thought back to the day they had discovered her father's body, dead from a Yin Fen overdose, back at the institute in Jakarta where they had grown up. They had both been twelve. Three weeks later they had found her mother's body, she had killed herself, devastated by the grief of losing her mate. Not even her child could keep her from taking her own life.

“I don't know which one of them I hate more” Dot said around the lump in her throat “him for being a bully and an addict or her for staying with him and choosing him after he was gone. All those years of beatings and drinking and the Yin Fen and she was still too weak to leave him, after everything he did to her, she still chose him over me” she whispered, angrily brushing the tears from her eyes.

“She loved him dot, he was her mate. Despite everything he did, she still loved him” Magnus said as he took her hand again. “It wasn't weakness that killed her it was grief,” he said. He wasn't even mated to Alexander but the thought of something happening to him had his chest tightening and brought a sick feeling to his stomach.

“She was his Alpha!” Dot said, slamming her clenched fist down on the desk “she should have taken control of him, so what if he was an Omega, that didn't make him weak, his own insecurities did that. She never once gave him a command, not even to save herself from the beatings. Why? Why was she so weak?” Dot asked as she stared at Magnus, the tears flowing down her cheeks unabated “having a mate makes you weak, you'll be better off on your ow….” she stopped short when she saw him recoil. “Magnus I'm sorry,” she said, hating herself for seeing that look on his face.

“The other day, when I commanded…. Alexander to stop using his magic” Magnus said, staring at an old ink stain on his desk “every time an Alpha growl burst from me, it was…. I felt…. Commanding your….mate to do something, its abhorrent Dot I hated myself for doing it. It's the worst thing an Alpha can do to their mate” Magnus said with a shudder, it had felt wrong to use his Alpha tone on Alexander. He had never understood why her mother had put up with her father all those years, never once stopping him, she had been an ALPHA yet she had let him get away with so much. He had not understood what it was like to do that to your Omega until he had done it himself.

“Maybe, when you find your own mate you will understand why she couldn't do it to him,” Magnus said “she couldn't take his free will from him,” he said.

“I will never take a mate,” dot said, reaffirming the vow she had made to herself the day she had found her mother impaled on her own seraph blade. “Anyway, i have arranged for the transfer of the eight shadowhunters to the Gard. Jia has gotten a warlock from LA to work with her full time creating portals, there is even talk of him moving to Alicante. It's a step in the right direction” she said, locking the bitterness down and shoving it away.

“There hasn't been a downworlder living in the city for two, three hundred years?” Magnus said his eyebrows almost in his hairline “not since the ending of the last accords. A step in the right direction indeed” he said with a nod of approval. “It seems Jia being made consul was the right decision, she has improved the shadow world relations vastly since she took over. Who knows, there might even come a day when a new agreement is forged between us and the downworld” Magnus said. He wondered what Alexander would have to say about a warlock living in Alicante before banishing the thought as the hole in his stomach became just that bit more jagged.

“Yes, no thanks to you,” Dot said with a proud smile. “ You're the one who has forged agreement after agreement between institutions and downworlders worldwide, don't be giving Jia all the credit. I have Sofia Devaux under investigation, she was the one with the Yin Fen” she said when she saw his questioning look.

“When you say she was found with a large quantity, how large are we talking?” Magnus asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer.

“Enough to make me think that maybe she has a vampire or two stashed away somewhere,” Dot said with a shudder “it won't bode well for us if she is keeping vampires hostage” she said, wondering if she should point out that they had never actually discussed anything with Alec Lightwood the other day. “I've also put together a list of people that I think are trustworthy or at least don't hate downworlders as much as the rest of them” Dot said.

“Thank you, Dorothea,” Magnus said with a small smile “you've been such a massi….” he cut off when he heard a knock at the door. “Come in” he shouted. He stared expectantly at the man who entered, Swanson, he remembered.

“Sir, there is a warlock at the front doors, she wants a meeting with you,” Swanson said “they tried to turn her away but she insisted you would see her. She seems pretty….. angry” he said, looking for all the world as if that were an understatement.

“Send her in please Swanson, and in future, if any other downworlders request a meeting with me, please let it be known that they shouldn't be turned away. Thank you” Magnus said. He didn't know if he was more surprised that he had been addressed as sir, the polite tone the man had spoken to him in or the fact that there was a warlock that wanted to meet with him. He couldn't help thinking of Alec when the man had said a warlock was here to see him. He squashed down the hopeful feeling that was building in his chest, not allowing it to surface, he couldn't think like that! He jumped up when the door was almost kicked off its hinges.

“Where is he?” Izzy demanded, with fire in her eyes, the second the shadowhunter had shown her to Magnus Banes’ office. “You had better tell me where he is right now or so help me I won't be responsible for my actions!” she snarled, staring as Magnus jumped to his feet.

“Isabelle I don't know what you're talk…” Magnus choked off when he felt himself picked up off his feet and slammed into the wall. He couldn't move a muscle as she pinned him there, the fury etched on her face was something to behold.

Izzy didn't even flinch when a dagger shot past her face, missing her cheek by inches. She smirked when her gaze landed on Dorothea. “Missed,” she said when she heard it thunk into the wood of the door behind her as she kept Magnus pinned to the wall.

“Oh, believe me i never miss” Dot said with a smirk from her chair as she yanked another dagger from her thigh holster “ I suggest you release my parabatai before the next one lands in the middle of your pretty forehead” she said before throwing her feet up on Magnus’ desk and spinning the dagger in her hand, her eyes never leaving the furious warlock. She almost rose to her feet when the women gestured with her hand, lifting Magnus further up the wall.

“Dot, put that away, Isabelle Is it Alexander? “ Magnus asked breathlessly as he stared at the angry, worried expression on her face. “Has something happened to him? Is he okay?” Magnus asked, alarmed as different scenarios started running through his head. There could only be one reason why she was here. The panic started to rise quickly in his chest as he fought against the magic pinning him to the wall.

“Are you saying you don't know where he is?” Izzy asked, her gaze darting between her brothers' mate and his parabatai. She let him down when she saw the look on his face “what? you're worried about him all of a sudden?” she asked derisively as he shot to his feet.

“What happened Isabelle?” Magnus asked as he darted around the desk and grabbed her arms. He couldn't stop the growl that was starting to build in his chest. He yanked his hands back when he felt a spark of magic pulse out of her.

“Don't act like you care about him, have you seen him or not?” Izzy asked as she stared at the shadowhunter. She watched him as he started pacing, his eyes darting around the room. He actually looked worried.

“Don't speak to him like that, you don't know what he's been going through,” Dot said, rising to her feet when Magnus did not defend himself. “Don't just barge in here and assume he doesn't care, you haven't seen what he's been like,” she said, glaring at Izzy.

“Please Isabelle, what's happened to him?” Magnus asked desperately clutching at her sleeve as the gut-clenching panic in him built to a crescendo. He forgot about the problems with the shadowhunters, the problems with the downworld, he forgot about the fact that he wasn't supposed to be thinking of Alec as his mate. His heart was racing as he imagined Alec being kidnapped and tortured, or lying face down in a ditch somewhere dea… he tried to cut the thoughts off but they were racing through his head.

“When you walked out on him he was devastated,” Izzy said as she watched the shadowhunter pace frantically up and down again, almost yanking his hair from his head “he has spent the last two days drinking himself into a stupor. He vanished into a portal a couple of hours ago muttering your name. I've been portaling around trying to find him. He really hasn't been here?” she asked, slumping into the chair next to Dot when Magnus shook his head.

“Where would he usually go when he's upset?” Magnus asked as he threw himself down next to Izzy's chair “is there somewhere you haven't looked? Anywhere that is special to him? Think Isabelle, please” he begged when she shook her head, staring down at him as if he were talking in a foreign language. He slumped down, almost screaming his frustration out, the metal band around his chest getting tighter by the second.

Izzy stared down at Magnus, sitting at her feet. He looked broken. She didn't understand, the last time she had seen him he had turned his back on her brother, now he looked like his world was crashing down on him. She looked up at Dot, seeing the tension in her eyes as she stared back.

“I've looked everywhere I can think o… where are you going?” she asked, jumping to her feet when he jumped up and ran out of the room. She looked at Dot, seeing the same question in her eyes before they both dashed out of the room after him.

“It's been bad,” Dot said to Izzy as they ran after her parabatai “he hasn't eaten or slept, I had to force him to eat this afternoon. You should not assume he doesn't care” she said as they rounded the corner.

“Why? I don't understand, if he cares about Alec why did he just leave?” Izzy asked breathlessly.

“He had no choice he cant mate a downworlder” Dot huffed as she tried to catch up with Magnus “it is eating him up. I don't understand it, this need people feel for a mate, I probably never will. I’ve never seen him like this” she said as they finally caught up to Magnus.

Magnus growled when he felt the hand on his shoulder. He spun on the spot to find Dot and Izzy staring at him. “I need to find him,” Magnus said, trying to turn away from them “let go of me Dorothea, I need to go and find him, he might be hurt” he growled, the thought had his stomach clenching. He just needed to know Alec was safe, that he wasn't hurt, the need was like a physical urge, punching him in the stomach.

“Where were you planning on lookin….?” Dot cut off when Swanson approached them.

“Sir, there has….”

“not now Swanson” Magnus growled, trying to think through the screaming in his head telling him to get to his mate “whatever it is it will have to wait,” he said, raking his hands through his hair.

“But sir, we need your authorisation for a mission,” Swanson said, cringing when his boss let out a frustrated snarl. “Sir, since the investigation started miss Rollins has made it clear that either you or she are to sign off on all missions,” he said, almost flinching back when Magnus started to pace, muttering angrily to himself.

“What is the mission and how many do you need to take with you?” Dot asked when Magnus started muttering.

“We’ll need six, there has been a report of a disturbance at a downworld bar, a drunken warlock has...” Swanson shrank back when Magnus, Dot and the warlock rounded on him.

“What bar? What disturbance?” Magnus asked desperately almost grabbing the shadowhunter when he took a step back from them. Only Dot, grabbing his arm stopped him. He took a deep breath before speaking “what is the mission Swanson?” he asked as calmly as he could.

“Sir, the report said that a drunken warlock is holding a bar full of downworlders hostage,” Swanson said.

“Hostage?” Izzy asked, staring at the shadowhunter “that couldn't be alec, he would never do that” she said, her hopes sinking.

“The wolf who reported it said that the warlock was ranting about a bust-up with his Alpha,” Swanson said, his eyes darting from face to face when they all stared at him. He wasn't sure why the warlock was there but she seemed to be involved somehow. “when they tried to take his drink off him he lost it and is now holding the entire bar hostage. The wolf has been hiding in the bathroom for the last half an hour apparently” he said.

“I'll take care of this personally Swanson,” Magnus said, spinning on the spot and dashing up the corridor before he realised he didn't know where he was going. He whipped around to find Izzy and dot racing after him.

“Come on, I'll create a portal, it will be quicker,” Izzy said, taking off with the two shadowhunters on her heels. She burst out of the Institute doors “i don't know why I didn't think of this place earlier, have either of you ever been to the Hunters moon?” she asked as she created the portal she sighed when they both shook their heads. “Hold onto me and don't let go until we’re through,” she said, taking their hands and dragging them through the portal. Only the worry and deep love she had for her brother had her portalling shadowhunters around.


	6. Chapter 6

Magnus dropped Izzy’s hand the second they stepped from the portal, darting toward the door of the bar they had landed in front of before he was yanked back. He spun on the spot with a snarl, glaring at his parabatai before getting a grip on himself.

“We need a plan, Magnus. You can't just go dashing off everytime” Dot said, keeping a firm hold on his arm when he started to turn towards the door “he could be dangerous, we need to prepare” she said, her eyes snapping to Izzy when she heard her scoff “the report said he was holding them hostage” she snapped.

“Whatever, there’s nothing dangerous about him when he drinks,” Izzy said, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous woman “you two can stay out here colouring your runes in, my brother needs me,” she said, stalking past the pair of shadowhunters and throwing the bar door open. She huffed when Magnus darted past her through the open door.

Magnus dashed into the dimly lit bar, stopping in his tracks when his mat...the warlocks scent wrapped around him. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to sink into it for a moment before reigning himself in. That voice was back, the voice in his head telling him to get to his mate. He shuddered as his eyes slammed shut, having to fight himself for control of his body.

When he thought he could control himself, he opened his eyes, sweeping the room in one glance. He frowned when he saw every person in the bar sitting like statues in their seats or standing stock still against the walls until he realised they were pinned down with magic. He counted seventeen people. His eyes landed on Alec, sitting alone at the bar, muttering at the barmaid who was staring furiously back at him.

Alec stopped talking the second his mates' scent hit him. He tried to spin around in his chair to look for him, almost falling off it as the room spun around him. He grabbed the bar to steady himself before his eyes landed on his Alpha’s, both of them. Why were there two of them? He grinned when he saw them take a step forward.

“Ah…. here’s my …..Alpha’s” Alec shouted, waving his glass of cognac in their direction as the room continued to spin around him. “A drink…. For my Alpha’s!” he shouted. “Oh yea…. I'm... pourin” he slurred before he made to grab the bottle from the bar, it took him a few attempts but he finally managed to get a grip of it and poured an entire glass, full to the brim of cognac, for his Alpha and proceeded to try and slide it down the bar to his mate. It crashed to the floor at his feet “oooooops”

“Alexander, please release them?” Magnus asked, taking another cautious step forward, having to physically hold himself back from scooping his Omeg… the warlock up in his arms. It was hard now that he had been away from him for the last two days, his scent bulldozing into Magnus again and again. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the glares that were directed at him before they unerringly found Alec again “Alexander I don't want a drink, please let them go,” he said when… the warlock tried to fix him another drink.

“This... is the fi..nest… Hennessy cognac.... Hey, maybe that’s….what we….should call our….first daughter! Hennessy...Lightwood-Bane… a nice ring to...it!” Alec shouted, sloshing his glass in his mates' direction. “Maia that's… my Alpha! ….. I tol..d you he.. Was handsome dint...i?” he said to the barmaid, throwing back the last of his drink. “He’s beautiful!” he whispered with a giggle before tears started rolling down his cheeks.

Magnus took another step forward, he couldn't stop himself. All he could see was his… Alexander, swaying and crying on his stool. He shook Dots hand off his shoulder and jumped the last few steps when he saw Alec lean too far to the left. He scooped him up into his arms before he could hit the floor. He stopped breathing when he touched…. The warlock.

Magnus sank to the ground, holding Alec in his arms, staring down at his tear-stained face. He felt as if electric shocks were seeping into him were their bare arms touched, shooting through his entire body. His breath stuttered out as that beautiful sandalwood/ jasmine/ musk scent wrapped around him. He wanted to scream when he looked into those perfect hazel eyes, seeing an entire future there that he couldn't have, it almost tore him in half.

Alec's world stopped spinning for a moment when he sank into his mates' arms. He was aware of every single inch of where their bodies pressed together as he looked up into his Alpha's eyes, trying to focus as best as he could. He didn't understand the storm of pain and desperation, anger and desire he saw there, how could Magnus look so conflicted and still leave him? He shuddered, drawing deep breaths in, inhaling the intoxicating scent that matched so perfectly with his own. He buried his nose in his Alphas neck as the tears came thick and fast.

Izzy realised that her brothers magic had cut off the second he landed in Magnus’ arms. She turned to the crowd with a glare, readying herself for a fight, a fight that nobody was starting. They were all trying to avoid looking at Alec and Magnus. She watched them, sitting on the floor wrapped up in one another, both of them shaking. All she could do was shrug when Dot nudged her.

Dot couldn't stop staring at her parabatai, sitting on the floor with the warlock in his lap. She watched as he gently stroked circles into Alecs back, tears rolling down his own cheeks and dripping off his chin, into the warlocks hair, where it rested on his head. She had not understood how strong the pull of your mate was until the moment Alec landed in Magnus’ arms. She could feel, through their parabatai bond, how much Magnus wanted the warlock, how much he needed him. It was as if he was complete when he held him, she could also feel the desolation he felt, knowing he couldn't have his mate. 

It almost took her breath away, the conflicting emotions warring through him were almost too much for her to take, she could only imagine how bad it was for him, feeling it all first hand. She hated seeing him like this, she felt awful for Alec but having to reject him was tearing friend apart. She followed Izzy to the bar, unable to watch them any longer.

“Maia, I'm so sorry…” Izzy started to say before the barmaid cut her off.

“Just keep him out of here Izzy,” Maia said “they will hold off only because of what he's going through. it's hard, to be rejected by your mate, we all know that but if he does this again I'll have no choice but to report it to Luke” she said.

“Thanks, Maia,” Izzy said, taking her hand in a quick handshake “you know he's not usually like this, he's just having a hard time. I think.... they both are” she said as she watched her brother and his mate. Magnus had surprised her, she had thought he didn't care about her brother and she certainly hadn't expected him to dash out of the institute to find him. She watched as he silently rocked Alec back and forth, crying his own eyes out. 

“Who is Luke? And why would you have to report something like this to him?” Dot asked the woman behind the bar. Her eyes darted back and forth between the warlock and the wolf when they shared a look. “What? I've had a lot on my plate over the last few days. Magnus holed himself up in his room and I've been running the institute by myself. I'm sorry I don't know every downworlder in new york” she said sarcastically.

“Why would you care about downworlders, shadowhunter? Maia asked “all your kind do is hunt downworlders, no wonder Alec is so upset, I would be too if a shadowhunter was my mate” she muttered with a shudder, staring at the woman.

“The name is Dot, not shadowhunter, and things are changing” Dot said, she had been through this time and time again with Magnus, every time they went to a new institute it was the same story, it would take time but eventually they would be able to come to an agreement with the downworlders. “Magnus and I are here to reform the institute. We will be implementing a lot of changes” she said, sighing at the look of scepticism on both of their faces.

“The day you reform that institute is the day the Seelies start lying to us all” Maia muttered. “So your friend decided our leader wasn't good enough for a shadowhunter then?” she asked as she turned to look at the two of them on the ground, she had seen it before, wolves, vampires, warlocks even the Seelies had been rejected by shadowhunters before. She had never understood how they could reject their mates because of what they were, she had seen enough mated couples to know how much a mate meant, they were usually inseparable. The shadowhunters were one cold-hearted bunch of bastards, she thought disdainfully.

“It isn't like that” Dot growled, having to reign herself in at the sneer on the woman's face as she watched Magnus “he didn't just decide Alec wasn't good enough, it is against clave law to mate a downworlder, you don't know the consequences. Thank the Angel it doesn't happen that often, not that that helps Magnus” she said as she watched her parabatai. It was going to hurt when he had to let go.

“Your clave obviously needs to talk more,” Maia said, turning to Dot with a curious look on her face, consequences? “It happens a lot more often than you think. You think this is something unique? That he is the first one to find out his mate is a downworlder? Trust me, I’ve seen it before, it doesn't happen that often? That would be funny if it wasn't so sad” she said, smirking at the surprised look on Dots face. Shadowhunters! They think they know everything.

Dot stared at Maia, what was she talking about? Of course it was a rare occurrence! if shadowhunters had been mating downworlders the clave would know about it, they loved gossip and nothing would be as juicy a piece of gossip as shadowhunters and downworlders mating. She took in the woman's knowing look, seeing how sure of herself she was. She didn't miss the nod of Izzy's head when she agreed with her. She certainly had a lot to think about!

“What happened anyway?” Izzy asked, glancing around the room before her eyes landed on her brother, he appeared to have stopped crying. It was the calmest she had seen him over the last two days. She glanced around again, seeing the hostile glares as the wolves stared at Dot.

“I tried to take his drink off him, I probably shouldn't have served him in the first place,” Maia said, a little sheepishly, he had already been roaring drunk when he had stumbled into the bar. “He started cursing and shouting about how he wasn't done with it. A few of the wolves tried to come to my rescue, thinking he was trying to cause trouble, next thing you know we were all locked down and he starts raving about his Alpha rejecting him, I kinda felt bad for him, until I remembered I couldn't move. He’s powerful, even when he is rotten drunk” she said.

“Yes well, that was why you picked him to be your leader,” Izzy said proudly. They might be competitive but her brother deserved the recognition and the position of their leader, as much as he complained about the position he was one of the most caring people she had ever known. And he was powerful!

“Was anyone hurt?” Dot asked. She didn't miss the surprised look the two women shared. “Not all shadowhunters are complete assholes. The report came from a wolf hiding in the bathroom, we didn't have time to ask if anyone had been hurt” she breathed a sigh of relief when Maia just shook her head.

“Look, as civil as this conversation has been, you need to get Alec out of here” Maia said, she was quite surprised at how decent Dot was, she hadn't even looked down her nose at any of them “he’s our leader and is welcome here, when he is sober, but two shadowhunters in the middle of a bar full of wolves is a bad combination, especially after he went batshit on everyone. There is a lot of bad blood between us and the clave and they won't continue to stay quiet if you stay here much longer” she said as her eyes darted around the room, she could see a few people muttering as they glared at Dot.

“Its okay, we’re going,” Izzy said, she could feel the tension building in the room “thanks again Maia, I'll have a word with him, it won't happen again. We will set up a meeting with Luke and the others” she said, surprised when Dot nodded.

Izzy and Dot made their way over to Magnus and Alec, both of them holding their hands out to take Alec from Magnus. Dot was surprised when Magnus just scooped him up and stood up, she moved forward to help him before taking a hasty step back at the growl he was emitting.

“I’ve got him, Dorothea,” Magnus said, he didn't miss the surprised look on her face, or the scowl on Izzy's “I'm not that much of a cold-hearted bastard Isabelle, he needs me,” he said. The truth was he wasn't quite ready to let go yet, not when he was holding Alec in his arms and definitely not when Alec's head came to rest on his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help holding Alec a little bit tighter, couldn't stop himself from inhaling more of the beautiful scent that called to him.

Alec snuggled into Magnus as the room continued to spin, he grounded himself with his Alphas scent, his nose finding the scent glands in Magnus’ neck automatically. Holy mother of demons, he smelt good! “Take… me ho..me Alpha” he muttered.

Magnus’ stomach tightened a little more when Alec called him his Alpha. He tightened his grip on Alec and carried him out of the bar, following Izzy around the corner into a side alleyway, Dot trailing them with a disapproving, worried frown on her face. He knew that look, he knew that she was worried but he couldn't just leave him, not like this.

Izzy created a portal and took Dots hand in one hand and Magnus' elbow in the other, silently leading them through the portal and into the workroom of her brother's store. She watched as Magnus glanced around, clutching her brother to his chest, she didn't understand Magnus’ willingness to walk away from him when they looked so right together, the thought had her shaking her head.

“He lives in an apartment above the store,” Izzy said, leading them over to the staircase in the corner. She dropped the wards as they climbed the stairs and let them into the apartment, watching as Magnus walked forward, glancing around before laying her brother on the sofa, she didn't miss the way he lingered or the way Alec held onto his arm when he put him down.

“I'm… staaaaarving” Alec said, pulling on Magnus' arm when he tried to retreat, it was a good job he was lying down because the room was spinning again. He clicked his fingers, grinning when he produced a greasy burger and started to stuff it in his mouth.

“Alexander, you can't eat while you're lying down, you'll choke” Magnus growled out when he saw his mat… Alexander trying to eat whilst lying flat on his back. He pulled him upright, propping him up in the corner of the sofa with a sigh when Alec started laughing, he had a nice laugh! He looked up when a glass of water floated in front of his face, looking up to see Dot holding it out to him. He took it gratefully, giving her hand a small thank you squeeze, she was showing a lot of self-restraint, he knew he would hear all about it when they left.

“Tha looks...spiciously… like...water” Alec said with a scowl when Magnus tried to hand him the glass. He pushed it away and continued to devour his burger, taking no notice of Magnus’ worried frown, it tasted good! “I want… a pro...per drink!” he muttered around another huge mouthful of his burger.

“Alexander, you need to drink water,” Magnus said, trying to take the burger from him, he snatched his hand back when Alec growled at him, clutching the food to himself and looking at him as if he were trying to take his first born child. The thought had his breath catching in his chest. “Please drink it, you need it to sober yourself up,” he said.

Alec snatched the glass and downed it, washing his burger down as he glared at his mate. “There… s'all gone...you happy no….” he cut off when he felt his stomach start to roll “Mag… I….think ima… be..sick” he muttered as his mouth filled with saliva.

Magnus’ eyes darted around, searching for a bucket or a bowl, anything for his Omeg… for Alexander to be sick in, he smiled gratefully when Izzy waved her hand and produced a bucket, handing it to him where he knelt on the floor in front of the warlock. He took the glass from Alec and shoved the bucket under his face just in time and started rubbing soothing circles into Alec's back as he clutched the bucket to him, his eyes slamming closed just at that small contact.

Dot pulled Izzy away from the pair, both of them watching as Magnus removed the bucket and used the hem of his shirt to wipe Alec's mouth. “I need your number, we have discovered a few things over the last few days that Alec needs to be aware of. We need to be able to contact you to arrange a meeting” she said as she watched Alec slump into Magnus’ arms when his stomach was empty.

“So Magnus is just going to leave him, again?” Izzy asked, watching Magnus brush his fingers through her brother's hair, she just didn't get it! “how can he act as if he doesn't care when he clearly does? Why does he insist they cant be together? Lillith knows I'm no fan of the shadowhunters but a silent brother can see how right they look together” she muttered staring as Magnus held Alec to him when he started crying again.

“It's not that simple” Dot said frustratedly as she pulled her phone out and shoved it into Izzy's hand “he has no choice, he can't mate a downworlder, don't look at me like that, neither of us has anything against downworlders, you only have to look at my parabatai's past record to see that. He's done more for shadow world relations in the last ten years than anyone else has done in the last two centuries. But it is against clave law to mate with downworlders, there are consequences, severe ones!” she said when she saw Alec sag into Magnus’ arms before he scooped him up and started wandering through the apartment.

Magnus looked around the open space apartment for the bedroom, his mat… Alexander was well on his way to passing out and he would feel it in the morning if he woke up squashed into the sofa, he was a tall man and the sofa wasn't overly large. His eyes zeroed in on a hallway hidden in the corner, walking down it and elbowing the first door he came to open. He inhaled the scent that hit him, this was Alexander's room! He lay Alec down gently in the middle of the huge bed and removed his shoes.

“Don't….you thin...should.. buy me...dinner first?” Alec muttered as he hauled himself up onto his elbows to watch his mate take his shoes off, he laughed when Magnus’ head snapped up. He winked at his mate, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning as he pulled his most alluring look on his face.

Magnus had to fight the laugh that was bubbling up in him as Alexander leered at him. He was sure Alec was trying to flirt with him but in his drunken state, the look on his face probably wasn't what he was trying to go for. By the Angel he was adorable! and extremely drunk. 

“Wait here, you need more water,” Magnus said, placing Alec's shoes next to the bed and looking around. He smiled when he saw the bathroom door. He wandered into the bathroom, finding a glass and filling it with water before emptying a decorative bowl, filled with soaps, and carrying them out to the warlock. 

Magnus almost had a heart attack when he saw his ma… Alexander half naked, his shirt gone as he tried to wrestle his jeans off, tripping back onto the bed as he tried and failed to balance on one leg. By the Angel! The man would be the death of him! He had the most beautiful body Magnus had ever seen! He reigned in the growl that was building as the sight of his mate's bod.. the warlock! the sight of the warlock's body, had the Alpha in him trying to take control. It took everything he had to look away.

Alec finally kicked the jeans free with a triumphant laugh that had his Alphas head snapping around to look at him. He went for the waistband of his boxers before he heard a low growl from Magnus, the realisation of what he was doing floated through the haze in his brain, he grinned when he saw his mate clamp his eyes shut before he ripped them off and threw them at Magnus. “Wha's wrong...Alpha…. Scare of see...ing me… naked?” he asked with a laugh before he wrestled his way under the covers, why were the blankets trying to fight him?

Magnus squinted one eye open cautiously to find Alec under the covers. He sighed with relief, he barely knew the man but he was pretty sure he would be mortified in the morning. He looked down to realise the warlocks boxers had landed in the bowl he was holding. Was Raziel trying to test him? He would never take advantage of someone that was drunk, the thought made him feel sick, but the thought of Alec with nothing on under the covers was pushing him to the limit of what he could handle.

“Why…. don't you want... me?” Alec asked when his mate placed the glass on the nightstand and the bowl on the floor next to the bed. He sighed at Magnus’ proximity when he sat down on the edge of the bed and chucked something he couldn't see into the corner of the room. He felt a shiver run through his body as his Alpha rolled him onto his side, goosebumps rising on his shoulder where their skin met. “I’ma… nice person… we woul...d be good… together” Alecs said as the room started to settle into place.

Magnus’ resolve almost dissolved when he heard the question. He looked down to see Alec's eyes float closed. He sat there watching Alec, silently stroking his hair back and allowed himself this moment to watch over his sleeping mate. His eyes slammed closed at the thought, the thought of what it would be like to mate Alec, to have him as his Omega, imagining what their life together would be like. He wanted it all, the friendship and love, family and a home, the life they could make together. He wanted it so badly it made him want to scream.

“I want you more than I want air, the Angels know how much I want you. But the consequences…... it's not allowed. It rips my insides to pieces to walk away from you but you don't understand what will happen if I let myself give in to my instincts,” Magnus whispered brokenly to his sleeping mate, he didn't even want to think of what that would do to Alec. 

Magnus had to drag himself from the Omegas side and force himself not to look back when he left the room. He darted down the hallway, scraping the tears from his eyes as he found Dot and Izzy muttering at each other. He grabbed Dots hand and pulled her towards the door, forcing himself to leave when all he wanted to do was watch over Alec as he slept, he knew without a doubt that if he stayed he would never be able to leave.

“He's sleeping,” Magnus said to Izzy over his shoulder when he reached the door. “I put him on his side in case he is sick again, please look after him?” he asked around the lump in his throat before he darted out of the door and down the stairs, dragging Dot with him.

Alec felt the tears well up again as he heard the apartment door slam, Magnus was leaving again. He heard his door open a few seconds later, opening his eyes when he felt the bed dip. “What does… he mean..con….quen..ses?” he asked his sister when she tucked him in and brushed her hand through his hair.

“I don't know,” Izzy said, wiping the tears from his face. “But we are going to find out, okay?” she said. 

She pulled the chair over and texted Simon to let him know that Alec was okay. She sat all night watching over him as the night's events and the conversation she had had with Dot ran through her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the fight begins!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey you guys! (insert sloth from the Goonies voice here) sorry, this one has been a bit slow, I've been having a meltdown over trying to put everything into an order that makes sense (sigh, frown) but this is a nice long one for you all. we get to meet some new characters! you can probably all guess where I'm going with it lol. if you don't follow me on the twitter or the Wattpad, go back to the summary on chapter one and click on the link I've added in the top notes. the link is Lightwoods magic shop, it will take you to the beautiful fanart that inspired this story (it's so good) it's by @max_maks_art on twitter

Alec woke with a groan as what felt like a herd of Ravener demons stampeded through his head. He kept his eyes firmly shut, seeing the red glow of what was probably the midday sun through his closed eyelids, deciding he wanted no part of it! He rolled over and buried his head under the pillow, trying to think through the pounding, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep and forget everything that was going on, it seemed his sister had other ideas though.

“Get up Alec,” Izzy said, barging into the room. She pulled the pillow off his head where he was trying to hide and tossed it aside, glaring down at him. “Open your eyes and drink this,” she said shaking him until he opened his eyes, determined to stop him from sinking into the bottom of another bottle.

Alec glared right back when he blinked up at her standing over him, right up until he saw what was in her hand. He practically snatched the glass and downed it in one disgusting gulp. Her hangover potion was the most disgusting tasting concoction that existed but it worked instantly. He sat up when the pounding in his head faded to nothing and the rolling of his stomach settled. Just in time for the previous night's events to start rolling behind his eyes like a bad movie.

“Can you give me a minute Iz? I need to get dressed” he said, remembering with a cringe how he had thrown his boxers at Magnus. He dropped his head into his hands when she reluctantly left him to it. He had puked in front of Magnus then decided it was a good idea to strip in front of him! He had never been so embarrassed in his long life. It was then that he remembered why his mate had been there in the first place, shit! He dived out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.

*

“I suggest you get your strength back, you are going to need it, Dot said her and Magnus have discovered some things at the institute which need your attention,” Izzy said when her brother emerged from his bedroom, showered and fully dressed. She shoved a plate of bacon and eggs on the table and glared at him until he sat down and started eating, she didn't miss the grimace on his face as he gingerly tucked into the food. “Don't pull that face, it tastes good!” she said, watching him eat. 

“I need to set up a meeting with Luke, to apologise for yesterday,” Alec said as he forced the last bite down. His stomach tightened as the constant ache that was the absence of Magnus jumped up another notch, just as it always did when he thought of his mate. It was almost a physical thing, a constant sick feeling in the background until he thought about Magnus, then it knifed through him again. He thought about Magnus a lot.

“You are stronger than the rest of them,” Izzy said as she watched that pained expression spread across his face again. “Don't you dare give into it Alec, you're not like the others, you have the strength to fight for what you want,” she said, thinking of other downworlders she had met over the years, other downworlders that had been rejected by the shadowhunters. 

It was always the same, they gave up and spent what remained of their lives in misery. Whether they where Alphas, Betas or Omegas, being rejected by their mates was too much for them to take, a lot of them choosing to end it rather than live without the other half of themselves. She would NOT let that happen to her brother! She had no love for the shadowhunters but Alec was her brother, her twin, he was a part of her and he needed Magnus so she would help him because seeing him sink into that misery was not an option.

“I don't feel strong, I just want to curl up and hide from it,” Alec said, clutching the mug of coffee she had made him, letting the warmth from the cup seep into him. “How do I fight for him? He's so determined that there's no way for us to be together. He said there were consequences, what was he talking about?” he asked, clutching at his stomach where the gaping empty hole that was Magnus ripped open just that little bit wider.

“I don't know, Dot said the same thing,” Izzy said, thinking over the conversation they had had while Magnus had put Alec to bed. “She told me a little about their past last night. Magnus is what is called a floating institute head, his job is basically to move from institute to institute and reform them. Their consul, Jia Penhallow is determined to reign the clave in and end this war between the shadow world. She sends him all over the world, apparently, he has reformed nineteen institutes so far. Dot goes with him when he needs her help or stays to oversee the transition” she said.

“The transition?” Alec asked, carrying his plate over to the kitchen area and washing it by hand, he needed something to do to stop himself from returning to his room and curling up under the covers. “The transition to what?” he asked curiously.

“The transition in leadership,” she said, watching him like a hawk “he meets with the local downworld leaders, sets up an agreement between them and the shadowhunters. He weeds out the problematic shadowhunters and sends them back to Idris, finding trustworthy replacements to take over the institute when he…. Leaves” she said, internally cringing at the way his head snapped up. 

Alec felt like Izzy had just punched him in the gut, up until that moment he had held onto hope that he would have time, time to make Magnus see how right they were for each other. Now his sister was telling him that his mate would leave? “I thought he was the head of the institute” he gasped out, fighting for breath at the thought of Magnus leaving. He couldn't stop the tears when his sister jumped up and wrapped her arms around him. 

“He is the temporary head, he will leave for the next one when he has completed his mission,” she said gently, wishing she wasn't the one who had to tell him. “Once he and Dot have sorted the place out he will be recalled to Idris to be given the next mission, the next institute he will be sent to,” she said, holding him tightly as he shook.

“He can't, he can't leave me” Alec gasped out, his lungs straining for air. The thought of Magnus leaving sawed through him like a rusty knife. He had to do something, he couldn't let his mate walk away, not when he had waited so long for him. “Izzy, you have to help me! I won't let him just give up on this and walk away from it. He said it last night, he wants it just as much as I do” he said. 

Alec disentangled himself from his sister and wiped the tears from his face, pushing the panic that was trying to overtake him down and hardening his resolve, his tears would solve nothing. It was time to stop moping and start doing something about it.

“What do you want to do?” Izzy asked, a hopeful feeling building in her chest when she saw the determined expression he pulled onto his face. She knew that look, when her brother set his mind to something, he saw it through and made it happen.

“The first thing I need to do is set up a meeting with Luke, I need to apologise,” he said, pulling her over to the sofa and pulling his phone out. “Then I want to meet with some of the downworlders my mate has met with, I want to see the results of these agreements for myself. I want you to find me some downworlders that have been rejected by their mates, I need to find out what these consequences for mating downworlders are, I have to see what I'm up against” Alec said as he sent a text to the leader of the werewolves, he had some grovelling to do.

Izzy couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face, she could see the resolve on his face, the way he set his shoulders, he wasn't giving in! She pulled her own phone out, firing off a text to her mate, letting him know what was happening. The grin on her face grew wider when Simon replied, offering to find the rejected downworlders when the sun went down. She sent a text to an old friend, hoping she could help out, remembering one of the institutes Dot had mentioned the night before.

“Come on, Luke is willing to meet with us now,” Alec said, pulling his sister up and summoning their jackets. He created a portal and led her through to the wolves headquarters, the Jade Wolf. His eyes darted around the dining area of the restaurant when he heard the growls coming from all corners of the room. They stopped when he and Izzy stepped into the middle of the dimly lit room.

“Alec and Izzy Lightwood, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Luke asked, stepping forward to shake hands with them both. “I'm assuming it has something to do with last night? A few wolves have been in to complain” he said when he saw the look on Izzy’s face. He had spoken with Maia and taken her word for it when she had told him that nobody had been hurt.

“Luke Garroway” Alec greeted the pack leader, pulling Izzy down into the booth with him when Luke offered them a seat “yes it is, I'm so sorry Luke, I've been having a bit of a hard time lately and I lost it. It won't happen again, you have my word” he said earnestly, looking the Alpha in the eye.

“The complaints were more about the shadowhunters poking their noses in actually,” Luke said with a laugh “they don't like the thought of shadowhunters hanging out in the bars they frequent. I heard about… your mate rejecting you, I'm so sorry Alec. how are you holding up?” he asked as gently as he could. 

Luke had wondered if he would have to suggest to the other downworld leaders that he be removed as their leader and replaced with somebody else. He hadn't really wanted to do that but surprisingly Alec seemed to be coping. He looked destroyed and the drinking had been understandable but the fact that he wasn't crawling into a hole and giving up was something of a miracle.

“It hurts, every minute of every day, I'm not going to lie,” Alec said, subconsciously gripping his stomach under the table “but I can't give in to it. I have responsibilities” he said, watching his sister get up when her phone went off.

“They have cast too many of our kind aside, giving up on us as if we are not worthy of them,” Luke said angrily, half the trouble with the clave was because too many downworlder families had been torn apart because of the rejections. Too many people had lost a family or clan member who couldn't stand it. “If it is too much we can meet the others and discuss someone else taking over your position,” Luke said, he liked Alec but he had to think of his people.

“No its fine” Alec said. “I need to set up a meeting with him soon, Izzy said his parabatai, Dot, has discovered a few things that I need to be aware of. I dread to think what has turned up,” he said with a grimace.

“That was Caterina Loss,” Izzy said, taking her seat next to Alec “she is willing to meet with us. As the high warlock of LA she was at the meetings Magnus had with the downworlders there when he was reforming the LA institute” she said.

“Reforming the LA institute?” Luke asked with a curious frown.

“Yes, that is his job,” Izzy said “that is why he is here, he is reforming the New York Institute, apparently it is what he does. He hosts meetings between the clave and downworlders and brokers some kind of deal between us” she said with a wry grin at the incredulous look on his face.

“Where are we meeting her?” Alec asked jumping to his feet, almost dragging Izzy from the cubicle they were sat at. He needed to keep busy to keep from giving in to the gnawing ache in his gut, it wasn't so easy when he was sober.

“Alec wait, she will meet us at my place in an hour,” Izzy said, tugging on her brother's hand until he sat back down. “She knows a few warlocks who have had similar meetings with him, she's going to take us to meet with them,” she said.

“Fine” Alec huffed out, chafing at the wait. “Luke I want you to attend the meeting with Magnus, along with Raphael and the Meliorn, I have no doubts the queen will want to send him in her place. I want to meet with the downworlders that have had dealings with my mate first though” he said to Luke, raising a questioning eyebrow at the confused look on his face.

“You still call him your mate?” Luke asked. He felt bad for Alec, worried that he wouldn't be able to put Magnus behind him. If he continued to think like that it would only drag him down and send him spiralling down into a depression that Luke was worried he wouldn't be able to return from. He didn't miss the pained grimace on Alec's face every time Magnus was mentioned or the way he wrapped his arms around himself, as if he were trying to hold himself together.

“Of course I do, what you thought I would give up on him?” Alec asked, he almost smiled, he had no intention of giving up on his mate, on their future together.

“Alec, you're only going to get hurt if you try and convince him,” Luke said, resting his hand on the warlocks shoulder. “We've all seen the effects of rejection, you need to stay strong not put yourself through more unnecessary pain,” he said, giving him a quick squeeze.

“I've waited too long for this Luke,” Alec said, rising to his feet. “I'll call you when we have met with the other downworlders, we can arrange that meeting,” he said, taking Luke's hand in a firm handshake “don't worry about me Luke, honestly, I'll be fine,” he said before he created a portal for him and Izzy.

**

Alec glanced around Izzy's living room when they portalled to her house. He smiled the first proper smile he'd been able to muster in days when he caught sight of his nephew sitting on the sofa with Simon. “David, your mom never told me you were back!” Alec said, pulling him up into a tight hug. “You look more and more like your dad every time I see you, boy. So, have you had enough of travelling the world already or did you just miss your moms wonderful cooking?” he asked, ducking away from the punch his sister aimed at him.

“hey mom, uncle Alec, I've just portalled in and it's been a long time since anyone called me a boy,” David said with a chuckle, pulling Alec back into another hug “You know I look exactly the same as I did when I stopped ageing at twenty-five, right? and my moms cooking isn't that bad anyway,” he said, huffing when his mom dragged him into a tight hug and squeezed the life out of him.

“You'll always be a boy to me, ninety years old or not,” Alec said with a tight smile. David looked a lot like his father but he was an equal mix of his parents when it came to his personality, he had his father's sweet disposition and sense of humour and his mother's adventurous spirit and love of life. “I see your mother has brainwashed you into believing she can cook,” he said, ducking another punch as David and Simon roared with laughter.

“Alec, are you okay?” David asked as he watched his uncle take a seat, he couldn't put his finger on it but there was something off about him. He looked tired and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, as if he couldn't drag the correct expression onto his face. He didn't miss the sag to his uncle's shoulders or the way he clutched at his stomach at the question. “What is it?” he asked, sitting next to Alec and clutching his hand.

“I… met my mate,” Alec said, looking into his nephew's brown eyes, internally cringing at the full-blown grin that crossed David's face. “He rejected me,” he said around the lump in his throat, fighting to keep the tears contained when his nephew's grin turned to a look of shock then one of anger, ah, there was his mother's fierce loyalty and fiery temper. He might be laid back like his father but he lost it just as fast as his mother when it came to protecting his family.

“What the fuck?” David asked furiously, how could anyone reject Alec? His uncle was amazing and kind and loving, any Alpha would be lucky to have him as a mate. “Point me in the right direction and I'll leave him a little surprise he won't forget, like a tail,” he said as magic sparked from his fingertips.

“My mate is a shadowhunter, David” Alec said, watching as the younger man recoiled, a grimace on his face. 

“Oh Alec, I'm so sorry” David whispered, pulling Alec into a bone-crushing hug when he saw the tears start to form in his uncle's eyes. The thought of being mated to a shadowhunter brought on a full body shudder, he hadn't met his mate yet but just imagining his Alpha being a shadowhunter sent a chill down his spine, he felt awful for Alec.

“Hey, I'm not giving up on him,” Alec said, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes and pulling a determined expression onto his face. “If Magnus thinks he ca… what?” he asked when his nephew's eyes went wide.

“Magnus Bane? Magnus Bane is your mate?” David asked, staring at his uncle, he didn't miss the tightening of Alec's hands around his stomach or the surprised expression on his face and the faces of his parents.

“Yes, wait, do you know him?” Alec asked, gripping Davids hand tightly and glancing at his sister and brother-in-law, seeing his surprised, mystified expressions mirrored on their faces.

“Not personally,” David said, his mind racing. “I have met him a few times though, I spent the last three years in Australia. I was… dating the high warlock of Melbourne for a little while. Magnus was there reforming the institute in Melbourne, I went along to several meetings when they were coming to an agreement” he said.

“You've met him?” Alec almost yelped, reigning himself in when his sister practically jumped on her son.

“You were dating someone?” Izzy asked, her mouth gaping open “Wait, have you found your Alpha? Where are they? Are they pretty? Is this warlock a boy or girl? Why didn't you tell us? Are they here with you?” she asked in quick succession, glaring around the room when her new son or daughter-in-law didn't materialise instantly before her eyes.

“Izzy, give him a second to answer,” Simon said with a chuckle, pulling his wife down on to his lap and wrapping his arms around her. “Don't bombard the boy with questions” he whispered in her ear, smiling when he saw the goosebumps rise on her neck at his proximity to her ear, her sweet spot, The thought had him grinning, trying to count how long it would be until her next heat, before he remembered his son and brother-in-law where in the room, the thought had him blushing.

“No mom, Stephanie wasn't my mate” David said with a grin “she was just an unmated Alpha who helped me get through my heats, it was a lot more fun than trying to get through them on my own” he said, smiling when his mom and uncle gaped at him.

David had never understood why Alec took that potion that prevented his heats, where was the fun in that? He was thankful for the contraceptive potion his uncle had shown him how to brew though, that was a headache he didn't need. He wanted children of his own but he was waiting for his Alpha before any of that came along. “What? A man has needs! Anyway, Stephanie had a lot of meetings with him, along with the other downworld leaders. I went along to one or two of them” he said as they all stared at him.

“Did it work?” Alec asked curiously “did he manage to reform the institute there?” he asked, seeing the curious expressions on Izzy and Simons faces.

“Yeah, it took him a year I think, but he managed to reign them in,” David said “it was awful before he got there, almost all out war. Both sides did some pretty despicable things and a lot of mundanes got caught in the crossfire. It took a long time for them to resolve their differences. I wouldn't say that the clave and downworlders there are close friends but relations were a lot better after he left. At least, they aren't all randomly murdering each other all the time now” he said with a shudder. 

Neither the shadowhunters nor the downworlders were innocent, both sides had hunted each other relentlessly, a lot of blood had been spilt, he had had a few near misses himself, thank Lillith for portals! It probably wasn't a good idea to tell them that though, his mother would bind him to New York for the next two centuries and he was more of a free spirit. He liked travelling the world, hoping to meet his Alpha along the way, he certainly wasn't going to meet him or her staying in New York. He wondered idly if he would be mated to a man or woman, he had been with both and wasn't picky either way, he liked both, he thought with a grin

“David?” Alec asked with a wry grin, he could see his nephews mind wondering, probably to something filthy by the look on his face. His nephew was certainly no wallflower. “What did the agreements entail?” he asked.

“They were sort of like a mini accords,” David said, thinking back to the meetings he had accompanied the lovely Stephanie too. “Basic agreements, that they would stop hunting each other, that each side would properly punish any transgressors, that sort of thing. I don't know how they manage to stick to it, what with so much bad blood over rejected mates” he said, wincing when he saw Alec flinch before continuing. “I think the shadowhunters that rejected their mates were transferred elsewhere,” he said.

“it would certainly explain why there are so many different nationalities represented at the institute,” Simon said. “The New York Institute is full of shadowhunters from all over the world. Maybe they transfer them to keep them away from their mates?” he asked angrily, he had lost a few friends when they had been rejected, their mates leaving and going to other institutes, not even sticking around to see the damage they had caused.

“Dot said he has been all over the world, reforming institutes, do you think he did the same thing for each place?” Izzy asked “that he has managed to form these agreements over and over again?” she asked.

“Who is Dot?” David asked curiously, glancing at his mother and father and uncle.

“She is my mates parabatai,” Alec said “apparently she accompanies him on his missions when he reforms the institutes, helping out when he needs it and taking over when he moves to the next one?” he asked his sister, continuing when she nodded “wasn't she there with him? Didn't you meet her?” he asked.

“No, he was there on his own, I never saw any parabatai,” he said with a shrug.

“My mate pulled all of that off by himself?” Alec asked, he knew Magnus was an ALPHA but it must have been hard dealing with the entire institute on his own and having to deal with an angry hoard of downworlders at the same time. He knew from experience that the downworlders weren't exactly innocent themselves, Raphael, the clan leader of the night children, and Luke had both told him that a few of their vampires and wolves had been found with runed skin they had carved from the bodies of shadowhunters they had killed, taking their runes like trophies, the thought of it made him shudder. He sighed when he realised he would have to tell Magnus about it, that was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to! even if it did mean speaking with his Alpha again.

“From what I've seen of him, he's quite tough” David said, remembering the power and confidence the shadowhunter had exuded with a shiver “but he is also fair, he took a lot of responsibility onto himself for the claves actions and he didn't exactly shy away from being honest about what they had done. I can't believe he's your mate, he is rather handsome, isn't he?” he asked with a wink, smiling when his uncle got a faraway look on his face.

“He's beautiful, and I fully intend to make him my Alpha so keep your hands to yourself, David,” Alec said, smirking at the virtuous look his nephew pulled onto his face, he was fooling nobody.

“As if I would do that” David said with a sly grin. “I've never been with a shadowhunter before, I wonder if those runes come in handy in the bedroom,” he said wiggling his eyebrows when his dad and uncle laughed. He couldn't help but chuckle when his mom covered her ears with a grimace “I'm joking, I'd never go with a shadowhunter, no offence” he said when he saw the affronted look on Alec's face. “No seriously, I wouldn't even attempt to take somebody's mate from them, especially not yours, you deserve to be happy uncle Alec. he's a decent guy, for a shadowhunter, you could do a lot worse. Are you really going to fight for him?” he asked.

“With every fibre of my being,” Alec said earnestly “Caterina Loss should be here soon, she's going to take us to meet a few….” he stopped mid-sentence when a portal opened right into the living room. “Speak of the devil!” he said when Caterina stepped from the portal.

“I'm a warlock actually, but devil works well enough,” Caterina said with a grin, rushing forward to embrace them all with huge bear hugs. “It's been a long time, I wish we were meeting up again under happier circumstances, Izzy told me what has happened. I'm so sorry Alec” she said, hugging him just that little bit tighter.

“I'm not finished with him yet Cat,” Alec said determinedly, squeezing her back just as tightly, he grinned when he saw the look of surprise turn to a nod of pride.

“Well then, you had best gear up,” Cat said, taking his hands. “Magnus is a wonderful man but he knows nothing but rules and the law. I really hope you can convince him, he has worked wonders in LA and to be honest, you both deserve to be happy, clave be damned” she said.

“Where are you heading?” David asked, taking his turn to hug Cat “ I'm bored and this sounds like a lot more fun than sitting around waiting for the sun to go down” he said with a wink for them, laughing when his dad clipped him around the back of the head as they all laughed. He grinned when he saw his uncle laugh.

“All over, Poland, England, Hong Kong, Mumbai” Cat said with a grin “that's just the start, he's worked his magic in a lot of places over the last ten years,” she said.

“Have fun, I'll find you some rejected mates when the sun goes down,” Simon said, pulling his mate in and slamming his lips against hers, invading her mouth with a fierce passion, even after a hundred years he was still wildly in love with his beautiful wife. He knew that he would never get enough of her in a thousand years. He grinned when she wrapped herself around his body.

“Mother of demons, get a room!” David said with a grimace at his parents pda “I'm not babysitting another brother or sister if you get carried away!” he muttered, walking out into the hallway to grab his coat so he wouldn't have to watch them mooning over each other.

“Are you all ready?” Cat asked when Izzy, Alec and David were all lined up, an excited expression on David's face, a curious look on Izzy's and what she thought was a hopeful expression on Alecs. She hoped she could get him the answers he needed, she thought as she waved her arm and created a portal for them to follow her through.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the literal fight for his Alpha wink wink

Magnus pounded his pillow into submission, trying desperately to sink into the exhaustion that wanted to claim him if only his brain would let it. He ran through the days events for what felt like the hundredth time, Dot dragging him into the shower, Isabelle turning up at is office, the Hunter's moon, his ma… Alexander in his arms, Alexander stripping his clothes off…..

That was the problem, every time he tried to close his eyes and sleep all he could see was Alexander's body, the way he had tried to flirt, the way he had gone for the waistband on his boxers! It didn't help that he was still blanketed in the Omegas scent from when he had carried him or that he kept inhaling it where it clung to his arms like a second skin. 

Magnus shook his head, trying to shake the images that arose again from his mind before it drove him crazy. He desperately tried to stop the automatic reaction of his body as he tried to push away the thought of his... The warlocks body in the soft light of his bedroom, the way his toned muscles had stretched and ground together under his skin, the patch of hair on his chest, the….

{“By the Angel!” he muttered, glancing at the clock on his remaining nightstand, 4.30 AM. he sighed, realising sleep wasn't going to come. He hadn't slept in the two days he had spent locked up in his room and it looked as if there wasn't going to be any in the remaining hour he had before his alarm would go off. He sat up, shuffling to the edge of his bed and scrubbed his hands over his face.

Training! That's what he needed, a good work out! He dragged himself from the bed and rifled through his closet, grabbing the first pair of sweatpants his hands fell on, pulling them on and forgoing a t-shirt. He grabbed his stele and shuffled from his room, making his way through the silent institute to the training room in the corner of the Ops centre, stretching on the way, trying to pull some life into his tired muscles. He sighed with relief when he realised he had the room to himself, walking over to the weapons rack against the wall and selecting a Bo-staff, testing its weight as he made his way to the centre of the room.

He activated several of his runes, strength, agility, stamina, the rune for perfect balance and started off with a warm-up, moving through a set of katas as he got the balance of the weapon. He was soon thankful he had decided against a shirt as he quickly worked up a sweat before moving into a more concentrated pattern of strikes, twirling the staff over his head and bringing it around behind his back as he brought his leg around behind himself, executing a perfect reverse hook kick. He froze when he saw a figure in his peripheral as he completed the spin. 

He had a split second to pull the staff around his body, dropping to one knee and bringing it up above his head with both hands to defend against the staff aimed at his head. He was breathing hard as he looked up, almost dropping the staff when he saw his opponent.

“Alexander!” Magnus choked out as Alec brought his own Bo-staff up and spun it under his left arm. He threw himself to the side as Alec continued the underarm spin and brought the staff back over his head, plunging into a downward strike that would have split his head in half if he had remained in place. He flinched at the crack of the wooden staff slamming into the ground with enough force to splinter the wood.

“Alexander, what are you doing here?” Magnus asked as he sprang to his feet, watching warily as Alec repaired the damage to the staff with a wave of his hand and removed his dark blue silk shirt and shoes with a click of his fingers, leaving him in just a pair of black leather trousers, trouseres that weren't leaving much to the imagination, the way they clung to his ass... “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice rising in alarm as Alec took up a stance with the Bo-staff resting comfortably under his right arm.

“I couldn't stay away,” Alec said as he started to circle Magnus, spinning his staff slowly with both hands as he stared at his mate. “I had to see you, its too much to ask of me to stay away from you, Magnus. I wasn't prepared for the sight of you with no shirt though, Alpha. Those sweats, they look good on you” Alec said with a wink, looking his mate in the eye as Magnus turned, watching his every move.

Magnus stared at Alec as he started to spin his staff faster, under and over arm as he continued to circle him, his breath catching at the speed he was picking up, he looked like he knew how to use it. He looked hot! Magnus thought before reigning himself in.

“Alexander, you can't be here, if someone sees…..”

“Are you really that ashamed of me?” Alec interrupted, darting in and striking at his Alpha's right knee. His breath caught at the speed of his mate as he planted his staff on the ground and jumped over the strike, spinning his own staff around and locking his down on the ground with an almighty crack.

“I am NOT ashamed of you” Magnus growled out as Alec pulled his staff out from under his. “If someone catches you here, they will…”

“Are you the head of the institute or not?” Alec asked incredulously, continuing to spin his staff as he started to circle his mate once more, darting back in with an overhead strike that would have taken his Alphas head off if he hadn’t blocked it.

“You know what you're doing,” Magnus said, surprised as he started to circle his mate slowly, forgetting about the fact that they were a shadowhunter and warlock in the middle of the institute, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to be thinking of Alec as his mate. “Where did you learn how to fight like that?” he asked, grinning when Alec purposely left himself open, trying to lure Magnus into making a mistake “what, you think me fresh from the academy?” Magnus asked as he lunged at Alec's right shoulder.

“I've been alive a long time” Alec huffed out as he blocked Magnus’ strike, taking a step back in order to bring his staff up on time. He ducked when his mate followed through by bringing his staff around lashing out in a deadly flurry of strikes that had him springing back on the defensive. “Did you think I spent all of my years brewing potions and pouring over spell books?” Alec asked breathlessly.

“I guess not” Magnus gasped out as his lungs strained for air. He froze when his mate threw his Bo-staff to the side, clearly done with weapons as he brought his hands up, tucking his elbows in and blocking his face and ribs with a grin. “Alexander, please, I am not going to go hand to hand with you” he said, leaning on his staff and wiping the sweat from his brow, he was trying not to look at his mates body, glistening with a light sheen of sweat in the softly lit room, it was hard going!

“Are you scared your Omega will put you on your ass?” Alec asked with a grin, he felt a shiver go through his own body when he saw the shudder run through Magnus’ at the word Omega. He didn't miss the way his mates head snapped up, his pupils dilating in an instant.

“It has nothing to do with you being an Omega,” Magnus said, turning as he saw his mate starting to circle him again, “you think I'm that kind of Alpha? that I want to stand here and beat the shit out of my mate?” he asked, not even thinking of the words coming from his mouth as he took deep breaths in, inhaling Alec's scent. By the Angel, he smelt good!

“Who says you could catch me?” Alec asked with a smirk, launching himself towards the surprised shadowhunter. He feinted with a left hook before twisting his body and almost landing a right when Magnus dropped his Bo-staff in surprise and ducked with his arms raised. Alec huffed when Magnus used his momentum to flip him over the top of his head. He brought his hands down just in time to land a handspring, continuing the flip with a laugh when Magnus spun and gaped at him.

“Alexander! I'm not playing this game with you” Magnus said when he had gotten a grip on himself. The sight of his Omega flying over his head as he flipped him had filled him with equal parts horror and admiration. Horror at seeing him go flying through the air with no apparent concern for his own safety and admiration at the way his muscles gilded under his skin as he had taken the entire weight of his body on his hands with ease and a grace that belied his tall bulky frame. By the Angel, his mate had some serious muscles!

“Oh? Is there another game you would prefer to play?” Alec asked with a wink, laughing when he saw his mates breath hitch in his chest. Alec lost his train of thought as his eyes stayed glued to his mate's beautiful chest, all sweaty and covered in runes, his own breath coming out a little more ragged. He shook his head, snapping out of it as he once again lunged at Magnus.

Magnus barely had a second to catch his breath before his mate lunged at him again. He grabbed hold of Alec's outstretched arm and pulled the omega into his body, twisting and flipping Alec's body over his shoulder, his mate landing hard on his back. Magnus stopped breathing when Alec slammed into the ground, dropping to his knees in panic when he heard the thud.

“Alexander, I'm so sorry are you okay? did I hurt you?” Magnus asked, raggedly drawing in a breath as he ran his hands over Alec's body, trying to check him for injuries. His anxiety turned to surprise when Alec grabbed his wrists and flung one long leg over his body, flipping them so that the Omega was straddling him, pinning his wrists above his head. He was breathing hard as he looked up into those beautiful hazel eyes, his stomach clenching when he saw the different shades of his irises, his pupils blown wide with pure lust.

“The question is, are you okay, Alpha?” Alec asked when he heard the growl rumble through Magnus’ chest. The noise had him slamming his eyes closed as the Alpha in Magnus called out to the Omega in him. He inhaled a lungful of his mate's beautiful scent, goosebumps rising on his skin as he felt the vibrations of the growl that continued to rumble through Magnus.

Magnus couldn't stop himself from rolling them over and twisting his hands out of his mate's grip, catching Alec's wrists in a vice-like grip as he reversed their positions. He came to land on top of his mate, situated between Alec's legs which automatically came up to wrap around his waist as he pinned the Omegas arms above his head. The feeling of his mate's legs wrapped firmly around his waist, the sight of him lying underneath him, gazing up at him through his long, thick lashes was almost too much for him to take!

Alec gazed up at his Alpha, seeing the lust that was swirling in his eyes, his pupils, as wide as dinner plates had him shuddering, the most delicious chills running up and down his spine. He couldn't help but inhale Magnus’ scent again, the smell wrapping around him, making him bite into his bottom lip as he gazed up.

“Fuck!” Magnus muttered as the last of his self-restraint snapped. The sight of his Omegas white teeth, sinking into the soft looking plump lower lip ripping his resolve to stay away from him in two. He didn't fight it when his head dropped at the same time as Alec tilted his head to the side, his nose skimming up the side of Alec's throat as he inhaled, losing himself in the perfect scent that matched his own perfectly.

Alec gasped as his Alphas nose pressed into his scent glands, the feeling of his warm breath, fluttering over his neck had the Omegas eyes rolling into the back of his head, his eyelids drooping halfway closed as a shiver ran down his spine.

“Is this the game you wanted to play?” Magnus asked as his nose continued up the line of Alecs throat and over his jaw, catching the edge of his jaw with a graze of his teeth before he found his mates lips, not kissing him but taking Alec's bottom lip between his own teeth, biting down with the tiniest pressure that had his Omega moaning. The sound had his breath turning ragged and his dick twitching in his pants. He didn't miss the way Alec's hips moved infinitesimally against him.

Alec pulled his lip from his Alphas mouth, lifting his head when Magnus pulled back slightly, to catch his lips. He smirked into it when his Alpha sank into the kiss, opening up when Magnus deepened the kiss, parting his lips a small flick of his tongue.

Magnus felt as if his whole body where catching alight, small shocks of pleasure shooting through his entire body as he dipped his tongue into his mates mouth, teasing him slightly with a small lick before Alec's tongue met his own, stealing his breath with his ferocity as they fought for dominance before moving with a synchronicity that came naturally to both of them. He groaned into it when he felt the hard ridge of his mate's cock pressed into his stomach when Alec's legs tightened their grip around his waist. He broke the kiss, feathering soft kisses back down his Omegas jaw and throat, his tongue finding the scent glands in his mate's neck with ease.

“Oh… god!” Alec gasped out when he felt Magnus lick at his scent glands, his eyes slamming closed as he tilted his head back, giving his mate better access. The sensation of Magnus’ teeth grazing over the skin had him fully hard as he tilted his hips up, grinding against his Alphas waist, nothing subtle about the movement this time.

Magnus couldn't stop the growl from erupting from him when he felt Alec's movements. He took both of the Omegas wrists in one hand and brushed the other down his mate's arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake as his fingertips continued the path down over Alec's chest and stomach. He smiled at the way Alec panted when he brought himself up to his knees, resting with his legs folded beneath him. He moved his hips forward, pressing his cock against his mate's ass when Alec's legs released him, draping over his thighs as he pushed down onto his painfully hard cock.

“Magnus… I… need it” Alec stuttered out, trying to drag some desperately needed air into his straining lungs when he felt how big his Alpha's cock was, buried between the cheeks of his ass, only a few scraps of material separating them. He couldn't stop a low pitched moan from escaping him when Magnus brushed his fingers over the sensitive spot above the waistband of his black leather trousers.

“What.. do you… need?” Magnus stuttered out, leaning his head down to catch Alec's nipple between this tongue and teeth, biting down slightly before sucking hard. The drawn-out moan Alec let out as his hips bucked was music to Magnus’ ears, he forgot where they were as he moved to the other nipple, forgot they were not supposed to be doing this, forgot that they were in the middle of the training room, forgot that anyone could catch them at any moment. His hips moved forwards of their own volition, grinding against the soft thin leather of his mate's trousers, his own low moan mingling with that of his Omega.

“You… I need... You, Magnus!”Alec yelped when he once again felt the length of his mates cock against his ass. He didn't stop to think as he clicked his fingers in the cage of Magnus’ grip above his head, removing the remaining material that was separating their bodies. He grinned when he heard the growl of approval rumble through his Alphas chest. “Magnus, I need... you inside me... now!” he gasped, his already erratic heart rate skyrocketing at the thought, the anticipation was too much. He clicked his fingers, preparing himself instantly, to desperate to wait when he could feel every inch of their skin pressed together.

“Then I had better give my Omega what he needs” Magnus growled out, moving his free hand down between their bodies, his index finger finding Alec's asshole of its own accord as he pressed his lips into the hollow of his mate's throat where his head was tilted back. He slowly sank a finger into his mates lubed up asshole, groaning at how tight the ring of muscle felt around his finger, almost coming from the thought of his cock sinking into his tight asshole.

“Magnus!” Alec whined at the intrusion, the smallest amount of pain wrapped up in the heady pleasure of being filled. “I need more than that,” he said, challenging his Alpha as he looked him directly in the eye. His panting turned to gasps as his mate slowly added a second finger, followed by a third when he quickly relaxed around him. “YES!” he screamed at the motion of his Alpha fucking him with his fingers.

“Alexander….” Magnus whispered, dropping his head to his Omegas ear “I'm going to fuck you now” he whispered, pulling his fingers from his mate's exquisite asshole and grabbing his cock, lining it up with Alec's ass. He groaned when the tip of his cock found his mates asshole. He took the outer shell of Alec's ear in his mouth, sucking slightly as he rested the head of his cock against his Omegas entrance. His mouth slid down the shell of Alec's ear to suck the lobe into his mouth, biting down slightly and pushing his hips slowly forward to sink into his mate's body when he heard Alec shout yes.

“Oh… my… god! Yes, I fucking need it!” Alec moaned when he felt his Alpha's cock finally push into him, the slight pain of Magnus biting down on his earlobe distracting him from the pain as he stretched to accommodate the considerable size of his Alpha's cock. It took his breath away, but in a good way, his breath finally huffing out when he heard the drawn-out moan his mate let loose against his ear, the sound had his cock twitching, even more, needing some sort of relief.

“Tell me when I can move” Magnus growled into his mates ear when he was fully sheathed in Alec's tight asshole, the muscle there squeezing the life out of his cock, it felt even better than he had imagined. He released Alec's right hand when he felt him tug it free, his eyes snapping down to watch as Alec reached down between their bodies and start to jerk himself off with short movements. He was so fucking hot!

“Now!” Alec breathed as the pleasure of his quick movements shot through him, his asshole finally relaxing around his mate's huge cock. He moaned when Magnus drew his hips back before pushing back into him, leaning his head up to catch Magnus’ lips in a quick kiss as they both gasped out at the sensations pulsing through them. He wanted to screw his eyes closed as he moaned at the pleasure when Magnus’ cock brushed against his prostate but he couldn't break eye contact as he stared up into his Alphas beautiful brown eyes.

“Alexander! You're so tight” Magnus gasped as he stared down into those beautiful hazel eyes, feeling the tight muscle of his Omegas ass squeeze every inch he sank into him, over and over again. He moaned when he felt Alec squeeze down a little harder on his dick, the sensation almost had his eyes crossing as his heart thundered in his chest. He groaned every time he pushed back into his mate, hearing the low pitch of his moans rise as he hit his omegas prostate with each thrust. “I don't… think I'm… going to… last long” he stuttered out, punctuating his words with deep thrusts as he ground into his mate's perfect asshole.

“Magnus...I…. Im…. going to….” Alec stuttered out, the pleasure coursing through him with each jerk of his hand, each thrust into his prostate bringing him closer by the second. He couldn't stop the slight rotation of his hips with each thrust of his Alpha's cock, trying to hold onto the feeling of his cock practically scraping along his prostate. “Fuuuuck!” he screamed as his balls tightened, shooting his load between their bodies.

Magnus could feel his orgasm coming on at the sight and sound of his beautiful Omegas orgasm, it was too much! He slammed his lips to his mates when he felt his balls start to tighten, the pounding of his heart thundering in his ears. It was too loud, a pounding that assaulted his ears……}

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Magnus roared in confusion as he sat up in bed, his eyes slamming shut as he came in his hand. His eyes snapped open, his breath sputtering out as his throbbing cock continued to spurt jet after jet out, his heart thundering and sweat trickling down his face, neck and back. He groaned quietly as his cock gave one last jerk into his hand. 

He cringed as he stared around his bedroom, realising what had just happened before the desolation swept through him. It had him gasping for breath as the mixed feelings of loneliness, desperation, embarrassment and the after-effects of his orgasm tore through him, all fighting for dominance, shame won by a clear mile.

He sank back into his pillows, hiding his head under the blankets as he wiped his hand on the sheets, this hadn't happened to him since he was a teenager! He felt the tears well up as the realisation finally sank in that it had been a dream. It had all felt so real, he desperately wanted it to be real, he wanted his mate more than he wanted air! His heart was still pounding and the tears were still flowing when a pounding on his door cut through his misery, the sound of dot shouting his name as the pounding turned to loud thuds. It sounded like she was trying to break his door down.

“WAIT A MINUTE” he roared, his mortification jumping up another notch as he realised the pounding that had woken him had been his parabatai knocking on his door. He silently thanked the Angel when the thuds stopped, springing from his bed and lunging for the bathroom to clean himself up, he avoided his reflection in the mirror as he dashed into the room, unable to look at himself as switched the shower on and jumped in, not even waiting for the water to heat up. 

He showered in record time, barely washing himself before he jumped out, quickly towelling himself dry and wrapping himself up in a robe. He cringed again when he saw the mess of his sheets, quickly throwing the blankets over it before he opened the door to find Dot staring at him suspiciously.

“What the hell is going on?” Dot asked as she barged into the room, elbowing Magnus out of the way “is there someone in here with you?” she asked, glaring into the corners of his room. She had to physically stop herself from checking under his bed for Alec. she had clearly heard him shouting the warlocks name. She turned to look at her parabatai, sifting through the feelings she had felt pouring into their bond, joy, excitement, happiness which had slowly turned to anger, frustration, shame and a bitter loneliness. Even now she could feel a mixture of embarrassment and a fierce longing pulsing from him as he tried to avoid her eyes.

“Nothing is going on Dorothea” Magnus muttered, pulling his robe tighter around himself as he avoided her gaze.

“So what was all the shouting about then?” she asked, her eyebrows raising as she glared at him. She didn't believe him for a second. She was tempted to go and check his bathroom. If he had snuck the warlock in….

“Drop it, Dot, nothing is going on” Magnus growled, blinking in the sudden bright light as she yanked the curtains open, daylight pouring into the room. “What do you want?” he asked frustratedly as her gaze continued to sweep the room.

“I wanted to make sure you weren't wallowing again,” Dot said “it's 9.30 and you were still in bed, after yesterday's events I thought you were locking yourself away again. After seeing Alec like that….” she cut off, mentally kicking herself at the way he flinched when she mentioned the warlocks name.

“I just slept in” Magnus said as he glanced at the clock, the traitorous alarm clock that hadn't gone off and saved him from the amazing, mortifying dream he had had of him and his mate. “get out and let me get dressed” he growled, sighing with relief when she turned on her heel and stormed from the room after one last lingering look.

He sank down onto the end of his bed, burying his head in his hands with a sigh. He couldn't help reliving the dream, the feeling of his mate's body beneath him, the pressure on his cock as he had sunk into his omega, it had all felt so real, he wanted it to be real. He groaned when he realised that he could no longer think of Alexander as the warlock, he was his mate! He threw himself back onto his bed, what was he going to do? He wondered. He had never wanted anything as badly as he wanted his mate right now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why am I such a bitch? wet dreams are no joke! only a shadowhunter could dream of fighting as foreplay lol


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, sorry its been a few days since the last update, I've been having trouble trying to put the events in the right order. its harder to keep up with the characters when they aren't constantly together. this one is set the day after Magnus takes Alec home from the hunter's moon. this is happening at the same time as the events from chapter 7 is unfolding if that makes sense? (head scratch) I was going to do half Alec and half Magnus for each chapter but there are certain events that need to happen for that to be possible, ill try and think of a way around it soon, anyway, enjoy 
> 
> ps, for those asking if the last one was a shared dream or if Alec had sent it to him the answer is no. Alec was still passed out drunk (see what I mean by how hard it is to keep the timeline straight when they aren't together) I really must work on that!

“Come in,” Magnus said, looking up from the report he was filling out when he heard a knock on his office door “are they gone?” he asked Dot when she entered and placed another pile of paperwork on his desk. He sighed with relief when he saw it was completed. He glanced around the room, trying to avoid her gaze, still smarting over the dream she had woken him from. He knew he had a blush on his face and was surprised she wasn't teasing him about it.

“Yes, all eight of them, good riddance. They're Jia’s problem now” Dot muttered, grimacing as she remembered the vile trophies the shadowhunters had collected from the downworlders they had killed. “So, do you want to talk about this morning? You're both going to get hurt if you sneak him in here Magnus, I would never report you to the clave but these people, we cant trust them if any of them see you together they would report you faster than Alec could portal out of here” she said as gently as she could, seeing the way he cringed.

“Dorothea, Alexander wasn't here,” Magnus said with a sigh, he had been waiting for her to bring it up since he had left his room that morning, knowing that she wouldn't be able to help herself. He knew she was concerned about him but this really wasn't something he wanted to discuss with her.

“I heard you, Magnus, I heard you shouting his name. I could hear the noises you were making halfway down the corridor” she said. She felt bad for him, it had been a while since he had gotten any but fucking your mate when you can't actually mate them could only lead to disaster “ I just don't want you to get hurt, Mags” she said earnestly.

“My mate wasn't here, Dot, please just drop…. What?” he asked when she stared wide-eyed at him.

“Magnus, you cant think like that, we have our fun hell, some of us even fuck them now and then but we don't mate them” she said warily “think about what it will do to you if you're caught, what that will do to Alec if you can't stop it for yourself” she said, flinching at the ALPHA growl that came from his mouth. She dropped her gaze for a moment, unable to look at him.

“Why do you think I keep myself away from him?” Magnus growled furiously, leaping from his chair and starting to pace, unable to hold in his temper “do you think I wouldn't give my runes up in a heartbeat for him? It is because of him that I hold myself back” he almost screamed, needing to vent. He dearly wanted to go to the training room and take all of his aggression out on a punching bag or a person but the thought of going in there made him shudder after the dream he had had of him and his mate.

“Then stop thinking of him like that!” Dot said “stop thinking of him as your mate!” leaping to her feet herself, her instincts pushing her into a defensive stance.

“You don't get it do you?” he asked her incredulously “it's not that easy, I tried not to think of him like that, I tried so hard. But he is my mate, even if I cant have him. Maybe when you find your own mate you will understand” he growled as he stalked around his office, looking for something to punch.

“I don't want a mate, not if this is what it does to you” Dot growled out, flinching when he turned on her. As far as she was concerned all she needed was herself and Magnus, she didn't need somebody coming along and turning her world upside down. “Don't look at me like that, it destroyed my mother and now it's destroying you” she muttered.

“You say that now, just wait until it happens to you” Magnus shouted, he couldn't believe she would say that so callously, throwing away even the idea of a mate like so much trash when he couldn't have his Omega. “You will meet a shadowhunter and fall in love, you will mate him and start a family. I'll never have that, I'll never have kids and love and a life with Alexander. Trust me, you won't even want to give it up” he said staring at his feet. He marched over to the door and flung it open when he heard a knock to find a weary-looking Swanson standing out in the hallway “yes?” he asked, trying to reign in his temper.

“Sir, I… need… I was wondering if I may have a word” Swanson asked, looking up and down the corridor.

“Come in,” Magnus said, letting the man in and stalking over to his seat. “What is it, Swanson?” he asked, studying the shadowhunter as he cautiously took a seat next to Dot. he watched the man's eyes dart from him to Dot before he slumped in the chair. The man looked like shit, Magnus thought. He hadn't really paid much attention to many of his fellow shadowhunters over the last few days, to preoccupied with his own problems, but Swanson had that look about him, the look he had seen time and time again, a world-weary, downtrodden look. He had wondered how long it would be before this happened.

“Sir, I need a transfer,” Swanson said, scrubbing his hands through his hair as he stared down at the ground, unable to look either of them in the eye. He just wanted to get this over and done with and get out of here. “I need to leave New York, sir” he muttered.

Magnus sighed, exchanging a knowing look with Dot. Everywhere he went it was always the same, some tired, desperate-looking shadowhunter would come to him and ask for a transfer. Nobody was ever happy staying where they were, always wanting to be off travelling the world. It wasn't all it had cracked up to be he thought wryly.

“Can I ask why?” Magnus asked, reaching for the Ipad on his desk and flicking through the apps as he found Swanson's file. He glanced up when the man didn't reply straight away. He took in the mans blonde hair, which looked as if it hadn't seen a comb in some time, his red-rimmed blue eyes and crumpled appearance, the guy looked as if he were trying not to cry. He looked through Swanson's file.

“Christopher Swanson, twenty-five, three hundred arrests in the last seven years, zero complaints, four promotions in the last three years, currently occupying the position of team leader and mission co-ordinator” he rattled off as he continued to read the file “your record is spotless Swanson, not so much as a missing piece of paperwork. I will need to know why you need a transfer if I am to put the request in” he said staring as the man sat silently, staring at his feet.

“Swanson is top of the list,” Dot said as she rifled through the stack of paperwork on Magnus’ passing him the list of trustworthy shadowhunters she had put together in his… absence when she found it. She didn't miss the way his face fell as she passed him the piece of paper. 

“The list?” Swanson asked, breaking out of his reverie to watch the silent exchange they seemed to be having. “What list, sir?” he asked curiously.

“Magnus is the temporary head of institute Swanson, we will need somebody to take over once he leaves” Dot said, taking the Ipad from Magnus’ clenched hand and scrolling through the file “it says here you have been working your way towards the position of institute head, you have an impressive profile, Swanson, you are top of the list as a potential candidate to take over the institute when Magnus is recalled to Alicante. I would stay on and supervise the transition” Dot said, ignoring the glare her parabatai aimed at her, if looks could he would be picking out an unmarked grave for her.

Magnus was wondering if forcing your parabatai to face the fact that he would eventually have to leave New York was grounds enough for him to bury her in the traitor's cemetery. He didn't miss the way Swanson's eyes momentarily lit up at the suggestion that he would be given the position before his face fell. Magnus was positive he could see a tear in the man's eye.

“We don't have to discuss that at the moment, there is plenty of time before the issue comes up,” Magnus said, ignoring the glare Dot was now aiming at him as he tried to come up with a decent excuse to delay leaving. He was wondering if he should resign his position of floating institute head and putting a request in to take over the NY institute on a permanent basis. It would be torture for both him and Alexander but the thought of leaving him had his stomach twisting, a nauseous feeling bubbling up in him.

“I'm afraid I would be unable to accept the position, sir” Swanson said, pulling a hardened mask onto his face as he stared at the lace on his left boot.

“Please, call me Magnus,” he said. “Swanson, it says in your file that you have been working towards this since you graduated the academy, and you have worked harder than any other shadowhunter here. Why are you so willing to throw that hard work away? you would be starting all over again if you transferred to another institute” Magnus said. Usually, he would just put the transfer in, providing they had a valid reason, but Swanson showed a lot of potential if his profile was anything to go by and the list of potential candidates wasn't exactly long, if he was going to stick around he wanted people he could trust by his side.

“Magnus, please call me Chris. I need to leave New York, I… need to get out there and see the world” Chris said, his eyes darting around the room, desperately trying to find something to focus on as the feeling of panic started to spread through him. He felt like an animal trapped in a corner as he felt both of their gazes bore into him.

The man was an appalling liar, Magnus thought as he stared at the way the man's eyes darted around the room and the blood that rushed to his cheeks as he blushed furiously. He exchanged a look with Dot, she wasn't buying it either.

“Chris, what is the real reason that you want to leave New York?” Magnus asked, leaning forward and crossing his arms on his desk as he stared at the man “has something happened? If there is something wrong you can talk to either me or Dorothea any time, no judgement. We aren't complete assholes” he said, earning a chuckle from Dot.

“Speak for yourself, I'm a raging bitch,” Dot said, trying to lighten the mood and ease some of the tension that was radiating from the man in the seat next to her. It didn't work. “Magnus is right though, we are both here to listen if you need to talk. If you are in some sort of trouble, we can help you” she said.

“I just need a fresh start” Chris mumbled, terrified that they would say no, that he would be trapped here. The thought almost had him bolting for the door.

Magnus watched as the muscles in Chris’ neck tensed. He felt bad but Jia wouldn't accept travelling the world or needing a fresh start as a valid excuse, not when it was already a struggle to find decent shadowhunters to take over the institutes she sent him to. “I'm sorry, Chris, but without a valid reason I won't be able to put the paperwork…” 

“I met my mate” Chris said in a rush, the words almost stuttering out as his breath caught in his throat. He took a deep breath, dreading what they would do to him, he had seen Raj as he was led out of the institute, the thought of it happening to him made him feel sick.  
“My mate is… a… vampire” he whispered with a flinch, waiting for one of them to snatch his shirt away and break the angelic rune on his chest. He looked up, his eyes darting between their faces as they stared at him, shocked expressions on their faces. He flinched when Magnus stood up and walked around his desk. He couldn't hold the tears back as he stood up and pulled his shirt up, looking off to the side, he didn't want to see it coming.

“What are you doing?” Magnus asked, stopping in his tracks when he saw the shadowhunter pull his shirt up.

“I… am… aren't you going to… de-rune me?” Chris asked, his eyes darting between Magnus and Dot as he clutched his shirt. He saw the look of pity on Dots face, the look of understanding on Magnus’. Why was he looking at him like that? He flinched when Magnus reached out an tugged his shirt down before patting him on the shoulder. “I don't understand, do you have to send me to Idris?” he asked when Magnus pushed him back into his seat, perching on the edge of his desk with his arms folded as he stared down at him.

“How long ago?” Magnus asked, taking the Ipad from Dot when she passed it to him, seeing the circled notes at the bottom of the impressive list of accomplishments that she had circled. He read through the note. “It says here you haven't been out on assignment for the last few weeks, is this the reason?” he asked.

“Yes sir.. Magnus” Chris said as he stared up at Magnus in confusion, waiting for the axe to fall. “I met him a few weeks ago, I was sent to raid a vampire den, I was cornered in a room in the basement and, he… saved me. I was surrounded, I watched as he fought them off, he was… magnificent” he said proudly, raising his head in defiance.

“Have you mated him?” Magnus asked with a sad smile at the way Chris talked of his mate, dreading the answer. He knew he would be severely reprimanded for not reporting this to the clave but he couldn't do it, consequences or not.

“No sir, I… re… rejected him” Chris said as the tears started to pour down his face. “Magnus, I have to leave, my next heat is due next week, if I stay in New York I won't be able to stop myself from going to him,” he said with a shudder at the desperate longing in his voice. “ I've been taking a potion from a downworld contact to stop my heats but I ran out. I was supposed to take it a month before my heat was due but I haven't been able to leave the Institute for three weeks to get any” he said. He knew if he left the institute he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going to his Alpha.

“Who is your contact, maybe we can go and get some for you,” Dot said, patting his shoulder awkwardly, not really sure how to comfort him. She was struggling enough to try and understand what Magnus was going through and she had known him for twenty-five years.

“A warlock called Olivia, her uncle makes it,” Chris said, his head dropping into his hands “but it's no use now, you have to take it a month before your heat or it won't work. I should have taken it three weeks ago but then I met Ste… my Alpha” he muttered, stopping himself from blurting his Alphas name out, he couldn't tell them that, they could do what they wanted with him but he couldn't do that to his mate. He shuddered at what it would do to Steven Underhill, his mate, when they de-runed him, the thought making him cry harder.

“I have a friend in LA,” Magnus said, thinking quickly. “Clary Morgenstern is the head of the institute there. I'll give her a call and see if you can go and stay there during your heat, it's not a solution but she won't ask any questions. I can't just transfer you but you can at least ride it out away from New York as a temporary measure” he said, pulling his phone out when Chris sagged gratefully in his seat.

“I begged Victor for a transfer as soon as it happened but he just told me to get out of his office, he wouldn't even entertain the idea,” Chris said, wiping the tears from his face angrily as they continued to fall. “He said he wanted to keep me around, my good record was a reflection of how well he was doing here apparently. The guy was an asshole” he muttered, smirking when Dot started laughing at his understatement. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to ask the question he was dreading the answer to. “Magnus, when will I be sent to Alicante?” he asked.

“Sent to Alicante? For what?” Magnus asked as his phone beeped signalling Clary’s reply. He read through it quickly before glancing up to find Chris staring at him with a desperately sad, terrified expression on his face.

“For my trial and de-runing” Chris said, hoping for a date. He could prepare himself if he knew. That was a lie, he would never be prepared, he would never be prepared for the pain it would cause his mate. He wondered if it wouldn't be easier to give in to his instincts, to mate him anyway, if he was going to be de-runed he had nothing to lose… no that wasn't true, it would only be worse for steven if they actually mated.

“Chris, I am not sending you to Alicante, nobody is taking your runes from you and you are only tried if you actually go through with the mating,” Magnus said, wanting to punch himself in the dick for letting the man sit there thinking he was going to be punished. “I have to ask though, how can you ask for a transfer if your mate is here in New York?” he asked, ignoring the way Dot stared at him, silently shaking her head. “Isn't it too hard to be away from him?” he asked.

“I feel like I want to rip my own legs off to stop myself from leaving him,” Chris said, raising an eyebrow in silent question when Magnus nodded his head emphatically as if he wholeheartedly understood. “But being so close to him is harder still when I cant have him. I'm terrified that if I leave the institute I won't be able to keep away from him” he said as a fresh wave of tears fell. He wanted his beautiful Alpha so badly. He couldn't help thinking about his soft green eyes and curly blond hair, his adorable cheeks that he wanted badly to press his lips too, just to see if they were as soft and squidgy as they looked. He shook his head, trying to shake the image from his mind. He saw the conflicted look on Magnus’ face, the way Dot shook her head at him as he sat contemplating whatever it was he was thinking.

“I understand completely,” Magnus said as he fired another text off to Clary. “What? You thought you were the only shadowhunter to find out their mate is a downworlder?” he asked sadly, seeing the shocked look on Chris’ face “my mate is a warlock, Swanson, I know exactly what you are going through” he said, reaching out and patting Chris on his shoulder before resuming his chair.

“Is your mate here?” Chris asked as Dot stood up to pace the room. He gaped when Magnus nodded at him “how do you stand it? How can you stay here when he or she is so close by?” he asked as he gaped at the man.

“Because I'm not strong enough to leave him. I'm selfish enough to stick around and put the both of us through the misery, I can't make myself leave him, even if I cant have him” Magnus said, pushing back the tears at the thought of leaving his Omega, the distance between them was already too great for him to bear he couldn't face the thought of being any further away from Alec than he already was. “Clary is sending a warlock to portal you to LA tonight, as far as she is concerned you are there to meet with the warlocks there to discuss an agreement for them to come and set some new wards up for this institute, I will have the paperwork ready for you to take with you” he said.

“Warlock?” Chris asked, wide-eyed, barely over the shock of Magnus’ admission. “She is sending a warlock? As in, a downworlder?” he asked incredulously.

“Things are different out there, “ Magnus said with a small smile “we aren't all at war with the downworlders, some institutes have evolved. I told you all, a change is coming, Christopher. Go and get packed, send a message when you are ready to come back and we can properly discuss your transfer. Dismissed” he said, watching as Chris left the room, standing a little straighter as if a weight had been lifted from him.

“Was that wise?” Dot asked as she took her seat in front of him. “What if he reports you? Are you going to tell all of them about Alec?” she asked, worried that one of the backstabbing vipers would dearly love a chance at getting rid of Magnus.

“By the angel Dorothea, Alexander isn't some dirty little secret, he is my mate” Magnus huffed out, trying to reign his irritation in. He knew she was worried about him but he could deal with this lot just fine. “He wouldn't tell anyone anyway, he understands what it is like. The situation has me thinking though. I have a mission for you Dorothea. I want you to portal to the Gard and access the records room. I want you to investigate all transfers over, say the last ten years. We've seen so many shadowhunters ask for transfers over that time. Every institute is full of a hodgepodge of different nationalities” he said absentmindedly running his hands over his face as he thought back to the number of transfers he had had requests for over the years.

“You think that this is what's been happening? That they were all trying to keep themselves away from their mates?” Dot asked, thinking back to the remarks Maia had made the other day. “You know, Izzy and Maia both made similar comments the other day, that it is a lot more common than we thought,” she said.

“I think so, it's a possibility anyway,” Magnus said. “I want a list of names, use my clearance to get what you need,” he said, smiling when she nodded and left the room to arrange her trip. He had a lot to think about. He sat for hours, thinking of all the times someone had come begging for a transfer, where they all like him? How many people had that stupid law kept apart from their mates?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you haven't already and are missing the Malec smut, check out the one-shot I posted yesterday called Don't keep me in suspense. Alec is a naughty boy and Magnus knows just how to punish him, wink wink.


	10. Chapter 10

Alec glanced around as he followed Cat from the latest portal, frowning as he realised it was night time, they had been at it all day and he was exhausted. He noted the busy road, black cabs everywhere and crowds of people hanging around in groups outside of a bar, laughing and smoking. It had been a long time since he had spent any time in London. He looked up at the name of the club Cat was dragging him into, JuJu the sign said.

“I have a surprise for you,” Cat said as she pulled Alec into the club, steering him through the darkened, crowded interior. “I thought maybe you would like to see an old friend on our last stop, the high warlock of London, I think you may recognise him,” she said with a wink at the confused look on his face. 

“Why are we in a club?” Alec asked, gripping Izzy's hand with his free one, not wanting to lose her in the crowded bar, the place was nice but he wasn't exactly in the mood to party. “And what do you mean by an old friend?” he asked, wracking his brain trying to remember who the current high warlock was at the mischievous look on her face. His head snapped up as a familiar voice reached him, he gaped as Sebastian Verlac came into view.

“Fuck me sideways, if it isn't Alec and Izzy Lightwood” Sebastian, said, grinning at the shocked look on his old friend's faces. “What brings the wild warlocks of New York to my club?” he asked as he swept the two of them into a back-breaking hug “and who is your friend?” he asked with a wink for David.

“Hi, I'm David” David introduced himself, elbowing his mom and uncle out of the way to offer his hand to the man, taking in the blond hair, blue eyes and adorable English accent, he was cute! “And I hope you aren't talking about these two when you say wild warlocks,” he asked incredulously, his hand lingering a little longer than was necessarily polite.

“Don't even think about it,” Izzy said to her son, pulling him away from Sebastian. “This is David, my son so keep your hands to yourself, Sebastian” she said with a shake of her head at the smirk on his face, remembering the things the three of them had gotten up to before she and Alec had left to find their mates, the debauched dinner parties, the wild tours of brothels and dockside taverns in the early eighteen hundreds, Sebastian was an animal.

“Your son? Well, that certainly puts a dampener on things” Sebastian said with a chuckle. “I'm mated now anyway, he's cute though! And yes I am talking about your mum and uncle, we had some wild times in the days of our youth, are you still a lightweight Alec?” he asked, grinning when Alec just shook his head ruefully. He grabbed Izzy's hand and towed them all through to his office, offering them a seat and conjuring a tray of drinks. He pouted when they all refused before taking a seat on the large corner sofa, gesturing for them to join him.

"you called your club JuJu?" Izzy asked with a smirk as she sat down.

"it has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? remember New Orleans at the end of the seventeen hundreds?" he asked with a wink, grinning as he remembered the months they had spent together there.

“As much as we have both missed you, this isn't a social call, Sebastian. We are here to see you about some business you may have had with my mate,” Alec said as he sank into the leather sofa next to Sebastian, the others taking a seat next to him.

“And who would that be?” Sebastian asked, taking a large sip of his whiskey sour. He spat it all over himself when Alec said Magnus Bane. “you have got to be fucking kidding” he sputtered out, clicking his fingers and cleaning himself up when he had gotten over the shock, staring from face to face to make sure they were not pulling some sort of prank on him.

“No, I wish I where it would certainly make things easier,” Alec said with a sigh as he scrubbed his hand over his face. “And no, before you ask, we haven't mated yet, he rejected me,” Alec said, sighing at having to explain it for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He smiled when Sebastian gripped his hand with a quick squeeze before letting go.

“That makes sense, Magnus is a nice bloke but he's a stickler for the rules” Sebastian said “I met him about a year and a half ago, he and Dot reformed the institute here, I had a meeting with her a couple of weeks ago so she could let me Know she had finally handed the institute off and was off to join him in New York, I take it you've met her” he said with a grin.

“Ha, the second time I met her she tried to take my head off with a dagger, she's quite… feisty” Izzy said with a grin. “Mind you, I was holding her parabatai hostage with my magic. What?" she asked her brother when he glared at her, "I thought he had you stashed away somewhere, you were muttering about him before you jumped through that portal, don't worry, I didn't hurt him. Dot wasn't too impressed with me though, she was quite adamant I let him go. She's rather protective of him, isn't she? despite the woman's sharp tongue or probably because of it, I quite like her, she reminds me of myself when I was her age” she said with a grin as Alec and Sebastian nodded in agreement. 

“Sounds like Dot, she can be a hard-faced bitch but she loves him like a brother, she probably just needs a good fucking, someone to tame her,” Sebastian said, chuckling at the sly grin that spread over Davids' face, he looked as though he was about to accept a challenge. He liked the bloke instantly, he had a hint of the old Alec about him, the Alec from before he had gone off on his inane mate quest, deciding it was time to ‘settle down’. The thought had him rolling his eyes, he had barely been out of his first half a century. 

“But she is fiercely loyal to Magnus,” he said “another stickler for the rules, they are a powerful pair. I was surprised about them though, they weren't arseholes when it came to downworlders, not like the woman they took over from, Imogen Herondale. She had a core group of shadowhunters at war with us for years, she had a particular fondness for hunting Seelies” he said with a shudder.

“I'll bet the Queen loved that,” Alec said with a grimace, thinking of the retribution she would have doled out. “There's no way she would have stood for it,” he said. He had heard the same thing all day, war, torture, merciless hunting on both sides. Some of the things he had heard had made him feel sick. It was a vicious cycle of misery that made him feel tired down to the marrow of his bones, one week the clave would do something horrendous, the downworlders would retaliate then the next week the downworld would start it, the clave doing something equally as vile. When would it all end? At what point did the loss and death become pointless? When would the cost become too high?

“Oh, believe me, the Seelies gave as good as they got,” Sebastian said with another shudder. “You couldn't walk the streets of London without finding a dismembered shadowhunter at one point, her knights are very… inventive” he said.

“How are shadow world relations here now?” Izzy asked, thinking of the conversations they had had with the downworlders they had been meeting for the last god knows how many hours they had been at it. There was still a lot of hate for the clave but the stories of how different it was compared to before the institutes had been reformed where like night and day. The promises of punishing transgressors having the most effect on the strained relationships between the shadow world. “did you come to an arrangement with Magnus?” she asked.

“Yes, he was here for about six months, it took him awhile to get the shadowhunters under control” Sebastian said, refilling his empty drink with a click of his fingers “once he got the institute under control he came to us and requested a meeting with the leaders of the downworld” he said.

“It was the same in Melbourne, it took him about a year there though,” David said “by the sounds of it, the worse the fighting is, the longer it takes him to gain control. How long was he in LA?” he asked when Cat nodded.

“Only four months,” Cat said “it wasn't as bad there though. The shadowhunters were more interested in stabbing each other in the back. They were at war with themselves more than anything, you can't throw fireball without hitting an Alpha in that institute. Don't get me wrong, we had our problems with them but the younger generation seem more tolerant than the older shadowhunters, some of them where even… appreciative of downworlders, shall we say” she said with a grin at the thought of the Ragnor Fell.

“What about rejected mates?” David asked Sebastian. “It is the biggest problem most of the people we have spoken to today have had, are there many here? He asked, patting Alec's shoulder when he winced.

“There are quite a few” Sebastian said, his face clouding over “we don't let them give in to it, we all pull together to try and get them through as best as we can” he said, pulling his phone out and firing off a text “I have a vampire working here, his Omega rejected him, that will be him now” he said, walking over to the door when he heard a knock. “This is Roger Smith,” he said.

“Hi Roger, I'm Alec, your mate is a shadowhunter too?” he asked, patting the vampire's shoulder when he winced. The guy looked like he was barely holding it together, Alec was wondering when the last time he had fed was. He had the same look about him that Simon used to get before blood banks came into existence, now all he had to do was Encanto the staff that worked in them and he was good. This poor guy looked like he hadn't fed in at least a week. “Its hard, but you can't give up, you have to try and get through it,” he said as gently as he could.

“I don't want to get through it, not without my Anna,” Roger said, his voice barely more than a whisper as he stared right through the man talking to him. “What's the point? You live for hundreds of years, waiting for her to come along and when she does she won't even stick around. Eventually, she just spouted some shite about the law and fucked off, she didn't even explain. She just left, I don't even know where she is” he said.

Alec felt awful for the guy. It was already bad enough that he looked as if he hadn't had a wash in while and was starving himself but the monotone he spoke in, the way he stared right through him made Alec want to shake every last shadowhunter he could get his hands on, including his own mate. It was as if Roger had checked out completely, as though he had already given up and was waiting for death to come along and claim him, again. He didn't even know what to say to the guy.

“Did Anna mention any consequences?” Izzy asked, feeling like a total asshole, he wasn't the first downworlder they had met today who had been rejected, none of them had been able to tell them what the consequences were. She sighed when he focused long enough to look at her with a confused expression on his face.

“Consequences?” Roger asked, confused as hell. “She never said anything about consequences. I tried to talk to her, to get her to see that we should be together but she wouldn't listen. She just kept sending me away, saying that we couldn't be caught together. That was two years ago and I haven't seen her since” he said as he looked from face to face, seeing the pity there, he hated it almost as much as he hated that he couldn't have his mate.

“My mate told me that there are consequences, that that was why he couldn't mate me,” Alec said, taking note of the expression on the vampires face, an expression that looked like a faint stirring of hope.

“So there's an actual reason that she couldn't mate me?” Roger asked. It was more than he had gotten out of Anna “what are these consequences? Do you think she wanted to mate me? That she didn't leave because she hated me?” he asked, unable to squash down the faint hopeful feeling that was starting to take a hold of him.

“No, Roger, I don't think she hated you, I think she was just scared,” Alec said sadly. “They are scared of the clave, of these consequences. I don't get it, what could be so bad that they would rather leave us all living in misery?” he asked no one in particular. 

**

Alec wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed when he stepped from the portal into Izzy's living room, deciding he would stay in her spare room rather than bother portaling home, he wasn't banking on Simons guest, however. He looked up upon hearing voices as he stepped into the room, to find Simon talking to a man with green eyes and curly blond hair, it was abundantly clear the man was a vampire just by looking at him, he had the same look about him as Roger, maybe not as bad but certainly getting there.

“Guys, this is Steven Underhill,” Simon said, making the introductions as they all traipsed into the room. “His mate is a shadowhunter here at the institute,” he said, taking Izzy's hand as she came through the portal last. He clutched it tightly, wanting her near after listening to what Steve had told him.

“Nice to meet you, Steven,” Alec said tiredly as he and David both collapsed onto the sofa. He smiled when David clicked his fingers, conjuring Chinese takeout and handing him a box. “My mate is a shadowhunter here too. Why don't you tell us what happened?” he asked as he opened his box and started to inhale the contents, they had barely had time to eat in the last… eighteen hours, he realised as he glanced at the clock, that they had spent portaling all over the world.

“Please, call me Steve,” he said as he glanced around at the group, they all looked exhausted. “If this is a bad time I can always come back,” he said uncertainly, not quite sure how he was going to get back to the Dumort in the daylight, but they all looked as if they were going to collapse any minute.

“No, its fine we've just had a long day,” Izzy said as she made her way through the archway into the kitchen, grabbing drinks for everyone. “Drink this Steve. You might as well do as you're told, I always get my own way” she said as she handed him a glass of blood, glaring at him until he started drinking, she didn't like the look on his face, the look of starvation. She stood over him until he finished the entire glass, then handed him Simon's, earning herself a look that was a mixture of gratitude and betrayal from her husband. Steve looked a lot better though.

“Thank you,” Steve said, taking the second glass from her and sipping it when she still hovered before Simon pulled her away. He shot Simon a grateful smile as he continued to drink his blood, already starting to feel the pangs of hunger starting to fade. It didn't make him feel any better but it cleared his head a little.

“Why don't you start at the beginning, Steve?” David asked when the man sat staring into his glass. He felt bad for the guy and furious at the clave for what he was going through. He had the same look as every rejected downworlder they had met throughout the day, the look that said he was giving up. “What happened when you met your mate?” he asked as gently as he could, feeling worse when the guy flinched.

“I was walking back to the Dumort after a night out with some friends when I come across his scent, it was like nothing I had ever smelt before” Steve said with a shudder, remembering the way the scent of crocus’ and lavender and Pure Omega had wrapped around him and dragged him down the street. “I followed the scent into an abandoned house, a vampire den, I almost ripped the place apart until I found the door down to the basement. He was there, trapped in the corner. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen” he whispered around the lump in his throat.

“He was surrounded by vampires and I just snapped, they were going to kill him,” he said with a shudder, remembering how close it had been “I killed every last one of them. I can still feel the shocks running through me from when I touched his skin when I picked him up, it was like electricity. His voice when we introduced ourselves will probably haunt me for the rest of my life” he said with a shudder, remembering his mate's deep melodic voice.

“It took us both a moment to realise what the other one was” Steve said, glancing around at them all, seeing the pitty from Cat, David and Simon and the look of understanding from Alec “the fear in his eyes was a look I had never seen on a shadowhunter before, I thought I had scared him. He practically ran away from me but I couldn't let him go” he said.

“What happened?” Alec asked, not wanting to hear the story but forcing himself to hear it anyway, remembering the fear he had seen on Magnus’ face the closer he had gotten to him what felt like a lifetime ago but was only six days in reality. The worst six days of his long life. The thought had him pushing his food aside, suddenly not all that hungry.

“He rejected me. He said we couldn't be together” Steve said, the tears finally breaking free from the tight hold he had kept on them. “He said it but I know he wanted me just like I wanted him, like I still want him. I saw it on his face when we touched, like he was complete, it was how I felt. Then he left, he turned his back and just walked away” he said, brushing angrily at the tears.

“How long ago did it happen?” Izzy asked as she stood up and pushed her brothers takeout box back into his hands, staring at him until he started eating again with a resigned look on his face. “Have you seen…?” 

“Christopher, Christopher Swanson” Steve supplied when she looked at him with a blank expression on her face, realising he hadn't told them his mates name. He watched as the expression turned to one of surprise.

“Swanson?” Izzy asked, remembering the shadowhunter that had told them about Alec. “blonde hair and blue eyes? Looks as though he hasn't slept for a week?” she asked. All she saw was a blur before Steve was stood in front of her, moving too fast for her eyes to track.

“You know him?” Steve asked desperately as he grabbed Izzy’s wrist, yanking his hand back at the burst of magic he felt from her “I'm sorry, I didn't… I wasn't going to hurt you. Do you know him? Have you seen him? How is he? I haven't seen him in three weeks. I've been watching the institute but he never leaves during the night” he said desperately as he stared into her brown eyes, silently begging for any news she could give him of his mate. He had almost stormed the institute a number of times, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of him.

“He's, okay. I saw him a couple of days ago when I was at the institute” she said, gently patting his shoulder as she thought about Swanson “he looked tired and miserable but he pulled that mask onto his face, the one the shadowhunters seem to have perfected. He seemed nice enough, for a shadowhunter” she said, wrapping him up in a hug as he sagged, her maternal instincts kicking in as he sobbed in her arms. She looked at her brother as he stared at the man.

Alec threw his empty container aside and jumped to his feet, pacing angrily up and down the room as the broken sobs poured from Steve. he had heard the same thing over and over again, downworlders cast aside with no explanation, leaving them wrecked as their mates had walked away from them. 

“What are you doing?” Izzy asked as she let go of Steve and watched her brother snatch up her notepad up from the coffee table.

“I am sending my mate a fire message,” Alec said as he sent the message and snatched his phone from his pocket, sending texts out to Raphael and Luke before sending another fire message to the Seelie court. “I think it's about time we meet with him and he WILL tell me of these consequences, I'm sick of it all, the fighting and misery and death, all because of this ridiculous law. I suggest you all get some sleep, we are meeting with Magnus tonight” he muttered as he glanced up at them all. He would find out what these consequences were if it was the last thing he ever did!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enter bamf Alec wink wink


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> grab a hold of your wigs, 10000 words of consequenses, revelations and a jealous, protective ALPHA. And maybe a little hand holding

Alec stood tapping his foot, restlessly waiting for the downworld leaders to arrive. He looked at the clock yet again, impatient to be off to the institute. He shrugged when he saw Izzy roll her eyes when his eyes strayed to the clock for the hundredth time that evening, it didn't help that he had barely slept, he just wanted to get this meeting over with. He glanced up when the wards went off, signalling a new arrival just before the door to his store opened.

“Luke, Maia, thank you for coming,” Alec said, stepping forward to shake their hands when he saw who had arrived. “We're just waiting for Raphael and Meliorn then we can leave,” he said, looking expectantly up at the door when the wards went off again, to see Raphael enter.

“What are the odds Meliorn tries to bring half of the court with him?” Luke asked with a grin, eliciting a laugh from everyone in the room, breaking the tension running through the assembled group.

“No bet,” Simon said as he shook Luke's hand then Maia’s “you know what he's like, cant go anywhere without bringing a full company,” he said, doing a stiff impression of the Seelie knight. He took Raphael's hand as he joined the group, giving it a firm shake. “Did Steven get back to the Dumort okay?” he asked, smiling when Raphael just nodded as he looked around.

“Are you going to be okay?” Luke asked concern etched on to his face as he pulled alec aside “it has to be hard, meeting with your mate when you can't have him, if you aren't up to it we’ll think of something” he said, patting Alec on the shoulder.

“Who says I can't have him? The clave?” Alec asked, his eyebrows practically in his hairline “the clave don't get to tell me who I can or can't mate Luke, their Angel himself isn't going to stop me from making him my Alpha” he said. He had waited too long for this and he would be damned if a bunch of snot-nosed children thought they could stop him from mating Magnus.

“He looks better,” David said to his mom as he watched Alec talking with luke, seeing the resolve on his face and the way he set his shoulders. He recognised that look, the look that warned anyone from getting in the way of what he wanted, he kind of felt bad Magnus.

“I wouldn't say he looks better, more like resolute” Izzy said “oh, here we go!” she said when the door opened again and Meliorn entered the store, followed by six of his knights. Why did he think he was any different than the rest of them? She wondered with an eye roll as she walked over to stand with her brother.

“Meliorn, I said two representatives,” Alec said impatiently when the Seelie knight made his way over. He glanced at the people following him “you will have to pick one and send the rest back, they'll think we are storming the place if we take this many with us” he said.

“And yet, I see three warlocks,” Meliorn said as he glared at Izzy and David, who had joined his mom and uncle. “If the warlocks have three representatives then it is only fair that the court has three. I see almost your entire family is here” he said as he glanced pointedly at Simon before turning back to Alec.

“Izzy and David are here to represent the warlocks, I am here as the leader of all the downworlders. Pick one and send the rest home” Alec said firmly, trying to keep his temper down as the Seelie tried to pick at him with ridiculous arguments.

“I want two” Meliorn said stubbornly, refusing to back down as everyone turned to watch the exchange.

“you will pick one or you will return to the court and we will go without you,” Alec said as he glared at the man. “You are invited to the meeting as a courtesy to the Queen, I could just as easily leave you here and send her a report afterwards. Nobody else has a problem with the warlocks being represented by Izzy and David, Simon is here as a representative for the night children” he said.

“If the Queen were made our leader, as it should have been, there wouldn't be a problem,” Meliorn said with a glare, fuming that everyone else in the room seemed to be siding with the warlock as they all stared pointedly back at him.

“And yet, the downworld chose me. Maybe if the Queen didn't pick and choose her battles, she would have been considered for the position” Alec said, squaring his shoulders and staring the man down. “They needed someone they could rely on not somebody who would swap sides the moment a better offer came along. Choose one person so we can leave” Alec said, his tone brooking no argument. At the moment his patience was wearing a little too thin and diplomacy was way down on his list of priorities.

They all watched as the Seelie knight deliberated for a moment before furiously turning on his heel and dismissing five of them, keeping a female knight that he didn't bother to introduce any of them too, choosing instead to glare at them all for siding with Alec.

“Excellent, now that that is settled we can leave,” Alec said with an overly sweet sarcastic smile for the Seelie. He turned on the spot and swung his arm in a wide arc, creating a portal for them all. “You will all keep your tempers under control, the clave may be a bunch of assholes but we will show them a group of civilised downworlders. We will give them no reasons to look down their noses at us, do I make myself clear?” Alec asked the group before he would let any of them through the portal, turning and leading the way when they all nodded in agreement.

**

Magnus stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting outside the Institute for the downworld contingent to arrive. He stroked his thumb over the edge of Alec's fire message where he clutched it tightly, as he had since its arrival. He had almost leapt from his seat in surprise when it had arrived, almost setting fire to the carefully stacked paperwork on his desk. 

He had read it repeatedly since it had arrived in the early hours of the morning when he had finally given up on sleep, again, activating his stamina rune to get through another day. He had wandered through the silent institute to his office, deciding to read through the report sent from Idris on the shadowhunters he had sent there. Sofia Devaux was his biggest concern, they had not questioned her yet and he was worried that she still had a couple of vampires stashed away somewhere, which meant he would not have an answer as to their whereabouts if the downworlders questioned him about it.

He silently fumed at Jia, this was why he preferred to handle the institute first so that he could have answers ready, so that he could be prepared for the meetings and the questions that would inevitably be raised during those meetings. He didn't like to go in unprepared, it quickly leads to a loss of control over the situation which was a notion he found unacceptable. He glanced at the time on his phone wondering, with a worried frown, for the hundredth time that day where Dot was. 

He had sent her to Alicante to retrieve a simple list of names and she had been gone almost an entire day, what could she be doing that would take all this time? He wondered. He would have preferred for her to be here but her phone was switched off and she hadn't responded to any of his fire messages. He prayed to any Angel listening that he would be able to reign himself in without her, he had not been able to stop thinking about his mate ever since the dream he had had of the two of them, the memory of it creeping up on him when he least expected it and he wasn't entirely sure that he would have the strength to hold himself back if Alexander got too close.

Several of his fellow shadowhunters had offered to sit in on the meeting with him when he had announced that a delegation of downworlders would be arriving at eight pm but he had decided to forego having any of them there. Alexander's message hadn't exactly been warm and fuzzy and he didn't want to exacerbate the situation by having any of the shadowhunters present, not when there was a strong possibility that any of them could be responsible for some act of violence against one of his guests, the last thing he needed was tempers fraying because of some perceived slight against them.

The opening of a portal ten feet in front of him had him snapping out of his reverie as his mate stepped out of the portal. His eyes swept up and down the vision that was Alexander Lightwood. By the Angel, he looked good! Magnus drank in every detail, taking in the moss green velvet frock coat that set his beautiful hazel eyes off perfectly, brass buttons done up under his left ear, the black leather trousers that were sculpted to his long legs, tucked into black combat boots that stopped mid-calf, covered in brass zips and hook and eye detailing that matched his coat. His gaze travelled up that impossibly tall and gorgeous body to land on his face, his beautiful face that looked tired, with an expression that he couldn't quite decipher, but was still beautiful in its intensity.

Magnus tried to squash down the butterflies that were hammering at the walls of his stomach and calm the acceleration of his heartbeat just at the sight of his beautiful Omega, with little success. It only jumped up another notch when Alec stepped forward with an outstretched hand and spoke in that sinfully deep voice, the voice that tightened its hold on Magnus with every syllable that fell from those perfectly plump lips. He just about registered the words his mate spoke, so wrapped up in the sound of his voice and the scent that was emanating from him in waves. Every time he spent any time away from Alexander, each new meeting seemed to affect him more and more as he subconsciously stored away each sight, noise and scent that came from his mate, saving them up for when they had to part ways and he would be alone again. 

“Mr Bane” Alec greeted his mate when he just stood there staring at him. His resolve almost melted when he saw the haggard look on Magnus’ face, taking in the red-rimmed eyes, almost hidden behind the fringe of hair that flopped over his forehead. The hair that looked as though it hadn't seen a comb never mind a styling product. He took in the slump of his shoulders and the slack-jawed expression on his tired looking face, demons below, when was the last time he had gotten any sleep? He pulled himself together and squared his shoulders as he clamped down on the feelings of pity and worry coursing through him, determined not to let his personal feelings get in the way of getting answers for his people, no matter how much he wanted to step forward and brush Magnus’ hair back to get a better look at his face.

“Mr Lightwood,” Magnus said, taking the proffered hand in his own, slightly taken aback by the cold, professional tone that Alec used when he greeted him. His eyes almost slammed closed at the electric shocks that tingled across his skin where it met with his mates. He wanted nothing more than to pull Alec in and wrap his arms around him, but he knew that he couldn't so he reluctantly pulled his hand away and dragged his gaze away from Alec's eyes to look at the group that had emerged from the portal behind him. 

Alec introduced the downworlders to his mate before silently following Magnus through the door and into the institute, past a bank of elevators and into a large room full of computers with shadowhunters milling around them in small groups, all eyes on the group that followed behind him. He glared right back at the ones staring at them with barely concealed contempt, not in the mood for their stuck up attitudes. His eyes snapped to Magnus’ back as an ALPHA growl emerged from him, almost rippling through the room like a tidal wave as gazes dropped to the floor, some of them flinching at the intensity of it. He fought the urge to drop his own gaze, firmly keeping his eyes glued to Magnus’ leather jacket.

Magnus glared around the room before continuing on past the training room, resolutely keeping his gaze from wandering to the room as his breath hitched in his chest when the memories started to play out in his mind again. He had warned the entire institute to at least be polite even if they couldn't be friendly and the glares on their faces as the downworlders passed were getting on his nerves. He led them into the meeting room and gestured them to the large round table, thanking the Angel that he had had enough chairs brought in, he had not known how many to expect, the note only saying that Alec would be bringing representatives from each of the factions, so he had erred on the side of caution and had some spare chairs in the corner. His heart sank a little when Alec ignored the chair he pulled out for him and continued around the table to take the one opposite the chair he slumped down into.

Alec would dearly have loved to sit in the seat next to Magnus, his heart fluttering from the gesture from his mate, but he forced himself to continue around the table. The proximity to his Alpha would not have been conducive to a clear head and he had a feeling he was going to need every one of his wits to get through this meeting without throwing himself on Magnus, he looked good in that leather jacket! He reigned himself in when Luke took the seat on his right and Raphael sat in the chair to his left, Luke gripping his shoulder when a shudder ran through him at the thought of throwing himself at Magnus.

Magnus could barely contain the growl that wanted to claw its way out of his chest when he saw the wolf’s hand on his mate's shoulder. He had to tell himself that he had no right to feel the jealousy that was surging through him at the small gesture, it was hard when his mate was sitting on the other side of the table surrounded by Alphas that were not him. 

He forced his gaze away from Alec to look at the other downworlders who were taking their seats, he had been surprised when Alec had introduced David as his nephew, though now that he saw him next to Simon the resemblance was obvious. He remembered the man who had accompanied Stephanie Shade to the meetings in Australia, he had had a calming effect on her whenever she had lost her temper during those meetings. He had thought they were mated at first but it had ended when she had mated an Irish warlock who had been visiting the city. 

“Are we waiting for Dot?” Alec asked when they had all taken their seats, noting that he hadn't seen the shadowhunter since his arrival, which was unusual, considering every time he had seen his Alpha she had been glued to his hip. 

“Dorothea has been dispatched on a mission, she should be back any moment,” Magnus said as his gaze snapped back to Alec “why don't we start without her?” he asked when Alec simply nodded. He shuffled through the paperwork in front of him, pulling out the copies of the files he had had made of the progress reports from Alicante. “I understand that you called this meeting Alexander but there are certain things that you all need to be aware of,” Magnus said, his eyes zeroing in on Alec's reaction when he said his name, watching the shudder that ran through his body before he shook himself off.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is the claves aim to reach a peaceful understanding with the downworld and put an end to this war,” Magnus said, taking in the sceptical expressions on his guest's faces. “Our consul, Jia Penhallow has been working towards this aim over the last few years and has sent me to see that a successful agreement can be reached between us,” he said

“Please pass those along, Isabelle?” he asked, handing her a stack of files as she was sat closest to him. “My aim here is to reform this institute and broker the peace deal between our two peoples. I would usually have dealt with the institute first but as this meeting was called by your leader I will inform you of the progress we have made thus far and will update you with progress reports in future meetings” he said to the assembled group.

“When I came to New York I found a member of this institute in possession of a jar containing vampire fangs,” he said, looking directly at Raphael and Simon, watching the expressions on their faces turn from boredom and curiosity respectively, to rage. “Upon receiving assistance from Idris a thorough search of the institute turned up several other items, all taken from Downworlders…” he cut off at the growl that came from several of the leaders around the table, he didn't miss the looks of disgust on all of their faces.

“Items? You mean body parts don't you?” Raphael growled out, crushing the file in his hand as he glared at the shadowhunter sitting opposite him. “Your people killed ours and took parts of their bodies as trophies,” he said, only the hand that Alec placed on his arm stopped him from jumping from his seat.

“I apologise, you are correct,” Magnus said, his eyes narrowing at Alec's hand where it was resting on the vampire's arm before he pulled his gaze up. He was fighting the urge not to stalk around the table and snatch his mate up from his seat, wanting to pull him away from the Alpha. He tore his eyes away and caught the expression on Luke's face, it was a mixture of anger, disgust and something else, guilt? He wondered.

“What do you mean, you found several body parts?” Alec asked, letting go of Raphael's arm and leaning forward to look Magnus in the eye as he took deep breaths, trying to control his own Anger.

“We found fangs and claws belonging to wolves and vampires and pieces of skin containing Warlock marks,” Magnus said, refusing to wilt under the look his mate gave him “they were seized from eight shadowhunters in total.

“Where are the shadowhunters responsible?” Alec asked as he stared at Magnus across the table “I assume you will be handing them over to us?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, waiting for Magnus to bring these people out.

“I'm afraid that will not be possible” Magnus said with a sigh “the clave takes these matters very seriously…” he cut off at the snort that came from Meliorn’s direction before continuing “we take this sort of thing very seriously, if you would open your files to the first page please” he said as he opened his own folder.

“The shadowhunters have been sent back to Idris,” Magnus said as he glanced around the table when they all had the first page in hand “this is a full report of the actions taken by Jia in determining their guilt. Each of them was questioned under use of the mortal sword and found guilty of their crimes” he said.

“Why are the names withheld?” Raphael asked as he glared down at the page in his hand, noting that the names of the guilty parties were missing. “I want a full list of the names of the people responsible for this,” he said, his people deserved justice for what had happened to them.

“That is not possible,” Magnus said, turning to the second sheet and gesturing for them to do the same. “As you will see on the second page the parties involved have been dealt with and have been punished most severely,” he said, repressing a shudder.

“It says here they have been de-runed?” David asked as he read through the list, glancing up to see the look on Magnus’ face “how is that a punishment? So they aren't allowed to be shadowhunters anymore, I don't see the correlation between the severity of their crimes and the punishment” he said with a frown. So they had had their runes taken away? Big deal.

“I assure you, the punishment fits the crime,” Magnus said with a shudder, refusing to give them a full explanation, it was the only fighting chance the ex shadowhunters would against the downworlders that would inevitably come for them if their identities were revealed. It was far more than any of them deserved, he thought with a scowl, but that was the law.

“So we are just supposed to take the claves word for it that they have been punished properly?” Alec asked, his voice dangerously low. He was unable to stop himself from rising to his feet as he stared Magnus down, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the edge of the table. “They will not hand the guilty parties over, they will not release their names and they refuse to at least give us a full explanation of this “punishment” they have supposedly handed out?” he asked. As much as he was tired of the fighting and death he knew that the downworlders would stand for nothing less than being handed the people that had murdered their friends and family, and if he was honest with himself, they deserved the justice that he wasn't sure the clave had properly dispensed.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the nature of their punishment,” Magnus said as he stared up at his mate, even when he was glaring at him, anger etched into every millimetre of his face he was beautiful. He had to drag his gaze away from Alec's face, afraid he would do something he couldn't take back. He glanced at the others around the table, seeing the anger reflected on their faces and the growls coming from several throats, he didn't miss the look Luke and Raphael shared “gentlemen, is there something you would like to add?” he asked when he realised the look they had shared was one of guilt. His eyes narrowed when the pair of them avoided his gaze.

Alec followed his mates gaze to look at Raphael and Luke, sighing as he resumed his seat, he had almost forgotten about the trophies their clans had collected themselves. He had no proof but he admitted to himself, if not out loud that there where probably a few warlocks somewhere with a trophy of their own, the thought made him shudder. He glanced over at Meliorn, knowing for a fact that his people were guilty of the same thing, even if he did not show an ounce of remorse over the fact. He squared his shoulders as he looked at his Alpha.

“I should mention that your shadowhunters aren't the only ones that have collected trophies in the past,” he said, watching as Magnus’ expression turned from one of curiosity and acceptance to a dawning look of disbelief before it quickly turned to anger. “Several downworlders have taken the runed skin of shadowhunters,” he said, wishing he hadn't had to be the one to reveal this fact. “I take full responsibility for their acti… that is enough!” he said as they all started to protest, silencing them all with a look.

Magnus glared around the table, horrified at the admission, they were just as bad as the shadowhunters. He sat stewing angrily for a moment as they all fell silent, staring at him, probably waiting for the explosion. A thought then occurred to him, as callous as it was, he decided to use the information as leverage.

“Well then, ladies and gentlemen, it seems as though both sides are guilty of the same thing,” he said, glaring around the table, silently daring one of them to disagree. “In light of the new information, I would like to propose our first agreement. The clave will not seek retribution for the actions of a few downworlders if the downworld will agree to do the same” he said looking each one of them in the eye. 

“Please give us a moment to discuss this” Alec said, erecting a ward around the gathered downworlders that blocked the sound from Magnus when he silently nodded. “That is probably the best offer we are going to get from the clave,” he said.

“Oh, so it's okay that they killed and disfigured our people just because we did it to some of theirs?” Raphael asked incredulously as he glared through the shimmer of the ward at the shadowhunter watching them. “I want retribution for my…” 

“Then maybe you should have kept a tighter leash on your people” Alec cut him off, his eyebrows sinking into one thin line as he stared the vampire down. “If your people hadn't done the exact same thing as the shadowhunters we would have something to bargain with. It's not my fault if you can't control them Raph, at least this will keep the clave from your door” he said pointedly before dropping the wards.

“That is acceptable,” Alec said as he clicked his fingers, producing a piece of paper and setting the agreement out in a binding magical contract with a wave of his hand. “I'm sure you won't mind signing this as we all will. It is a simple contract stating that each side will refrain from pursuing this matter any further” he said, producing a pen when Magnus agreed. He signed his name to the piece of paper before carrying it around to Magnus, unable to stop himself from inhaling a lungful of his mates scent when he leant over him to place the piece of paper on the table, he smelt good!

Magnus could not repress the shiver that ran down his spine when his Omegas hip brushed his shoulder as he leant over the table. The control he had over himself almost slipping when he saw Alec bending over the table. He wanted to drag him out of the room and off to his room to claim him, he wanted it badly! He wondered once again where Dot was when he leant into his mate's side to take the pen from him, knowing that she would save him from himself with his mate this close. He couldn't help but let his hand linger when he touched Alec's hand to take the pen from him.

Alec shuddered when Magnus’ fingers brushed softly against his own before he withdrew his hand. He could feel his cheeks heating up as his breath froze in his chest, forcing him to straighten up so he could drag a much-needed breath into his straining lungs. He didn't dare look up, knowing that the others in the room where staring at the two of them, he could feel their gazes burning into him, only making him blush harder. He proceeded around the table when he had gotten a grip on himself, having the leaders of each faction sign it and their companions witness it, all until he got to the Seelies.

“Why should I sign this? You are giving the institute free reign to murder our people” Meliorn said with a glare. “Letting them get away with it is tantamount to siding with them. You are betraying the downworld and pledging your allegiance to the clave” he hissed.

“I am doing no such thing, this document states that neither side will…” Alec started to say before Meliorn cut him off.

“This is your idea of leadership, Alec Lightwood?” Meliorn asked furiously. "you are happy to let the clave dictate what happens to us? you are happy to let his people get away with what they have done to ours?” Meliorn asked as he rose from his seat with a glare, ignoring the warning growl that came from Magnus as he went nose to nose with Alec.

“And what about what your people have done?” Alec asked, refusing to back down from the Seelie knight. “This will keep them away from your realm, Meliorn. This has to stop! can you honestly say that none of your people are responsible for any of the deaths? That they had no part in taking shadowhunter runes?” he asked the Seelie directly.

“This is why my Queen should have been made our leader” Meliorn muttered vehemently as he grabbed Alec's arm, avoiding the question “you would act like a lovesick Omega and side with your mate over…?” he cut off at the snarl that ripped from Magnus.

“I suggest you remove your hands from my mate before I remove yours permanently” Magnus snarled as he launched himself from his chair, sending it flying across the room when he saw the knight grab his Omega. He didn't even try to stop himself from stalking around the table, pulling a seraph blade from his thigh holster along the way. He took no notice of anyone else or the way they silently gaped at him, as his vision tunnelled, all he could see was the man's hand wrapped around his Alexander's arm, the growl in his chest building to epic proportions.

“Magnus” Alec cautioned, his heart turning somersaults in his chest when Magnus called him his mate. He yanked his arm from the Knights grip and pushed him back down into his seat when the Beta Knight froze at the noise coming from the ALPHA. “See, he let go and he is going to sign the agreement, aren't you Meliorn?” he asked, stepping between the two of them and laying a hand on his mate's chest, pulling his attention away from the squirming knight. “Look at me,” he said quietly when Magnus’ eyes darted back to Meliorn. “It was an empty gesture, there was no threat” he whispered when his Alpha shifted his entire focus on to him.

Magnus couldn't stop himself from taking another step forward and pulling Alec away from the Seelie as every instinct in his body screamed at him to protect his mate from the threat. He gazed up at Alec, searching his eyes to be sure that he wasn't harmed in any way. The hand pressed firmly against his chest had a shudder running through his body as he breathed Alec's scent in, trying to use it to ground himself. He noted with a small corner of his mind, that Meliorn was furiously scribbling his name on the piece of paper and handing it to the woman sat next to him.

Izzy gaped at Magnus as he stood staring at her brother, his chest rising and falling erratically as he drew in deep breaths. She turned to look at her mate, seeing the same shocked expression on his face, the same expression mirrored on the others faces as they stared slack-jawed at Magnus, the silence in the room was deafening. She hadn't been worried about her brother, he could take the Seelie without even having to use his magic but Magnus had reacted as though Meliorn had been about to deliver the killing blow. She watched as Alec replaced Magnus’ chair with a wave of his hand and pulled Magnus back to his seat, pushing him back down into it.

Alec retrieved the piece of paper and clicked his fingers, duplicating the document and handing a copy to his mate when Magnus sat down again, glaring at Meliorn with a thinly disguised murderous scowl on his face. Alec turned and stalked over to Meliorn, whose eyes were darting around the room, trying to look anywhere but at the enraged Alpha.

“Please give my regards to the Queen, Meliorn,” Alec said, waving his arm and creating a portal for the knight. “I think it is best if you leave, I won't be able to stop him again if you say something in haste which you might later regret” he said, watching as the Knight schooled the grateful expression on his face, pulling a haughty mask across his features as he rose from his seat and pulled his companion through the portal without so much as a backwards glance for any of them.

Magnus finally got a grip on himself when Meliorn left. He had had to physically stop himself from rising to his feet again when his mate had returned to the Seelies side. He watched as Alec made his way around the table, taking his seat between Luke and Raphael. He wanted to pull his Omega into the seat next to him and keep him away from any danger and from the other Alphas in the room. Raziel! Where was Dot when he needed her! He was going to kick the selfish bitches ass for leaving him to fend for himself, he had never felt so out of control at one of these meetings in all the years he had been having them. The thought of kicking Dots ass made him groan internally as a vision of the training room floated before his eyes.

“If that concludes today’s business?” Magnus asked in as calm a tone as possible, his heart pounding, he needed to get them out of here and cutting the meeting short was the only way he could think of getting them to leave. He didn’t know what was pushing him more, the proximity of his mate or the thought of his unmated omega surrounded by Alphas, a fight for dominance was the last thing he needed if he ever wanted to bring peace to New York. He frowned when he saw the look on Alec’s face, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.

“Our business isn’t even close to being concluded,” Alec said as he sent his copy of the signed document back to his apartment with a wave of his hand and turned back to face his mate. “I spent the entire day yesterday portaling around the world, meeting with downworlders and mates that have been rejected by the shadowhunters,” he said, watching Magnus’ face, taking in the wide-eyed stare he directed at him.

“Rejected mates?” Magnus asked, glancing around at the group, all of them staring at him expectantly. He thought of the conversation he had had with Chris and the mission that Dot was currently on. “The... matter was recently brought to my attention,” he said cautiously, not liking the determined look on his mates face, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the direction this conversation was heading in.

“Recently brought to your attention?” Alec asked incredulously as he stared at his Alpha. Magnus looked like a deer caught in the headlights as they all stared at him, he would have felt bad if he wasn't quickly being wound up at the thought of all the people they had met with the day before, all of the rejected mates the ridiculous law was keeping from finding happiness, all of the people it was destroying. “Don't act as though this is new information, Magnus, as if the entire clave doesn't know what they have done,” he said scathingly, almost snorting at the idea.

“I'm sorry if you think there is some big conspi…” Magnus started to say before Alec cut him off.

“your clave has been transferring shadowhunters for years to keep them away from their mates,” Alec said, leaning forward in his chair as the anger started to build at Magnus’ denial, “They think they get to decide for the downworlders? many of them have been alive centuries before any of the clave members were even born and will still be alive when they are long gone. Why do they think they have the right to choose for them? To destroy so many lives? They are nothing but the blink of an eye to an immortal” he said, not realising he had risen to his feet as the anger coursed through him.

“I'm sorry they feel that way,” Magnus said, clamping down on the reply he would have liked to have given. He couldn't discuss it with any of them so he shut down, pulling his mask on and pushing down his own feelings of anger and frustration. “But it is the law…”

“Don't do that! Don't shut down and spout that clave approved response” Alec shouted, pushing his chair away and starting to pace, too riled up to sit down. He took no notice of his silent companions, staring back and forth as if watching a particularly riveting tennis match. 

“The law is hard, but it is the law,” Magnus said as evenly as he could, his tone flat as he stared at the table in front of him, refusing to look at his angry mate or any of the downworlders that where staring at the two of them. Why didn't they just pull out the popcorn already? He thought savagely.

“Fuck the law” alec screamed at his Alpha, furious tears building in the corner of his eyes as his Alpha shut down on him again. “You could choose me but you refuse too out of blind obedience to some ridiculous law, you let it govern your life, refusing to see what is right in front of you. The clave deny you your own happiness time and time again and still you follow their cause” he screamed, forgetting that he was supposed to be fighting on behalf of the downworld.

“What do you want me to do?” Magnus shouted, forgetting everyone else in the room as he flung his own chair back “I am what I am, I can't change that, as much as you can't change what you are!” he shouted across the table.

“I want you to fight!” Alec shouted as his magic started to spark from his fingers “I want you to fight for us, like you have fought so many times, for so many others. You have stopped entire fucking wars, Magnus, over and over again. Am I not even worth the effort? Do you think so little of me? Of yourself? That you would deny our happiness for them?” he screamed.

“We will leave you to it,” Izzy said uncomfortably as she pulled her gawking son and husband to their feet, she felt as though they were all intruding on something private, knowing her brother would hate airing his dirty laundry in public. She walked around the table, pulling them all up one by one when the rest of the downworlders refused to move. She created a portal and started pushing them through, instructing David to wait for Alec at his apartment, she didn't want him arriving home alone to an empty apartment. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, seeing them both pacing as if they didn't realise they were all leaving before stepping through the portal to her house.

“Why do they insist on keeping us separated?” Alec demanded as he reigned his magic in. He scrubbed the angry tears from his face as he rounded the table to step in front of his mate, stopping him in his tracks. “Why does the clave insist on transferring the shadowhunters to different institutes?” he asked, staring into Magnus’ eyes.

“The clave hasn't been transferring anyone, the transfers have all been requested by the shadowhunters themselves,” Magnus said as he stared up at Alec, he would swear, if he didn't know his mate was part demon he would have thought he was an avenging angel. “From what I know they felt that being close to their mates was too hard. They needed to escape before they did something that couldn't be taken back” he said, silently wishing he could do the same thing. Alec was so close! He forced his hands behind his back, turning and walking away before he betrayed himself.

“Do you know Magnus, one day somebody is going to ask me what my Alpha looks like,” Alec said, his voice barely more than a whisper that had Magnus stopping in his tracks. “I will be able to describe every line, every contour and muscle and dimple of your back, and when they ask what your face looks like, I won't be able to tell them, because all I ever see is your back, you won't even face me” he said brokenly, the anger leaking from him as the pain in his stomach ripped through the rest of his body, stealing the air from his lungs as he stared at his Alphas back, seeing the flinch at his words.

Magnus flinched when he heard the words his mate spoke. They chipped away at the ice he had wrapped his heart in, desperately trying to stop himself from feeling the hundreds of conflicting emotions that were tearing at him. “There are consequ…”

“Ah yes, your consequences, the excuse you hide behind out of fear” Alec said scathingly, unable to hold the acidic retort in. “you are so terrified of your clave and your rules that you would rather hide behind your consequences than face the truth, that no matter what the cost to you, the clave comes first” Alec said.

“You're right, I am scared” Magnus growled as he spun on his heel to face his mate “ I am fucking terrified, for you! That you won't survive it, that it will cause you such unimaginable pain that you would end yourself to escape it. I have seen the damage it causes with my own eyes, so yes, I would deny my own happiness, I would rip it to shreds and trample it into the ground because the cost to you is not one I am willing to pay. You think it's bad now? It is nothing compared to what you will go through if I mate you” he screamed, practically yanking his hair from his head as he scrubbed his hands through it, his control slipping piece by piece at the expression on his mates face.

“Nothing is worse than this empty, gaping hole where my stomach should be” Alec shouted at his mate as he clutched his stomach. “Or the empty space where my heart has been ripped from my chest again and again. Nothing is worse than the hole in my soul that has been waiting almost three centuries to be filled with a sliver of yours. You do not get to decide if the price that I will pay is too high, I decide that. I am yours and you are mine, your clave can't change that. I don't give a fuck about the consequences” he screamed as his temper flared up again.

“Come with me” Magnus growled as he grabbed Alec's hand, almost dragging him from the room. He tried his best to repress the shudder that ran through him at the feeling of his mates hand in his own. He marched them into the empty Ops centre and stalked over to a bank of computers, releasing Alec's hand as he mashed the touchscreen, doing a location search as Alec stared at him. “Create a portal,” he said when he found what he had been looking for, taking note of the location before exiting the search screen.

“Why? I'm not going anywhere, we are going to…” Alec started before Magnus cut him off.

“I am going with you, create a portal, Alexander,” Magnus asked again, watching as his mate stared uncertainly at him for a moment before turning and creating a portal in front of them. 

Alec took the hand that Magnus offered him, interlocking their fingers and gripping Magnus’ hand tightly before his mate could pull away. He was surprised when Magnus simply gripped his hand back, just as tightly before leading him through the portal. His curiosity got the better of him as he followed.

Magnus kept hold of Alec's hand when they stepped into a quiet side street. He was unable to let go, not when Alec's hand felt so right in his. His traitorous thumb brushed across the soft skin of his mate's thumb before he could stop it, knowing that he should but not being able to follow through on the action of letting go, even if it would hurt them both when they would eventually have to. He turned to Alec, gazing into his beautiful, curious eyes before leading him around the corner and across the street.

“When a shadowhunter mates a downworlder, they are arrested and a trial is held,” Magnus said as he pulled Alec along with him. “The sentence is the same each time, the shadowhunter is de-runed,” he said as they got closer to their destination. “Just listen, Alexander. What I am showing you goes against the most strict clave law and I only show you because you have a right to know why we can't mate” he said, looking Alec in the eye. “If the clave found out I showed you this, not only would I face de-runing, I would also be put to death,” he said.

“What?… no.. you cant… don't say that” Alec gasped out, dragging Magnus to a stop as he searched his face, trying desperately to breath at the thought of his mate being killed. He started to hyperventilate as visions of Magnus being hung, decapitated, impaled on a seraph blade and a thousand other deaths paraded through his mind in a blur. He gripped his Alphas hand, clinging desperately to it as the pain of it shot through him.

“Breathe, Alexander” Magnus whispered through his own panic, wrapping his arms around Alec's waist, holding him up when his knees gave way. “Just breathe, sweetheart” he whispered, the endearment slipping out before he could stop it when his Omega pushed his nose into his scent glands, taking deep breaths against his neck. His eyes slammed closed when he felt Alec's breath brush across his skin.

Alec inhaled Magnus’ scent, clinging on to it like liferaft in the sea of images that filled his head. His arms wrapped around his neck, gripping onto his Alpha for dear life as he tried to get a grip on himself. The combination of Magnus’ scent and the fingers that came up to stroke through his hair helped to centre him. It took him a few minutes to compose himself enough to release Magnus and stand on his own feet, a shudder running through him as he fought to banish the images from his mind.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked gently, kicking himself for telling Alec about the consequences of his Actions. He reached up and brushed the tears from his mates face, the tears he didn't seem to be aware he was crying. “I'm sorry I sprang that on you, it was thoughtless of me,” he said, taking hold of Alec's hand again.

“I'm sorry, it's just, I… don't want to even think of you not being here anymore” Alec whispered with a shudder. “We can… you don't have to…” he didn't know what to do, he needed to know these consequences, not just for himself but also for his people, but the thought of what would happen to his mate if anyone ever found out. He had never felt so conflicted in his life.

“You deserve to know, Alexander,” Magnus said, taking the decision from his mate and pulling him forward when he was sure Alec could walk without stumbling, keeping tight hold of his hand as he led his mate down the street. He rounded the corner into an alleyway and pulled his stele out, momentarily releasing Alec's hand to activate the glamour rune on his chest.

Alec couldn't help but stare at Magnus stomach and chest when he pulled his shirt up. His eyes slid over every muscle, every dip and valley between his abs. Fuck! His mate was built like a greek fucking god. He tore his eyes away, shaking himself off when Magnus dropped his shirt, to realise what he had done. He pulled his own glamour around himself, grabbing Magnus’ hand again and following him into the alleyway. He watched as Magnus tapped his ear, getting the gist and casting a silencing spell over the two of them.

“This is what happens when a shadowhunter is de-runed,” Magnus said as he pulled his mate around the last corner. “He was pretty notorious by all accounts and the biggest asshole at the institute. I am sure you will recognise him” he said to Alec, gesturing at the man slumped on the ground, leaning against the wall in front of them, he was a broken wreck of a man, unkempt and surrounded by card boxes, muttering to himself and rocking back and forth as he clutched at his knees.

“Raj” Alec breathed as he stared at the man in disdain, unable to bring himself to feel any pity for the man in front of him. Every downworlder knew this asshole. “So, he's been de-runed? It's about time someone put him in his place. He has done something vile no doubt. Every downworlder in New Yor…” he trailed off as he stared down at the pitiful excuse for a man. Something wasn't right. He stared and stared at the Alpha, trying to put his finger on what it was. He took a deep breath in frustration before it stuttered out of him when a realisation came to him. He could only smell two scents, his own and his mates. Raj had no scent. His head snapped around, his gaze unerringly finding Magnus’

“Where is his… he isn't… how?” Alec asked as he gaped at his mate. 

“When a shadowhunter is de-runed, their status as an Alpha, a Beta or an Omega is… revoked for lack of a better term,” Magnus said, pulling Alec back down the alleyway and away from Raj as he started muttering to himself again. He deactivated his glamour rune, watching as Alec dropped his own glamour as he led him from the alleyway and across the street, pulling him into an all-night diner and ordering two coffees as he let his mate process the information. He pushed Alec into a booth and set the coffee down in front of him, sliding into the booth next to him.

“If I were to be de-runed, I would no longer be an Alpha, your Alpha. It would be as if I had died” Magnus said gently as he wrapped his hands around the warm mug. “You would feel it in here,” he said, laying his hand on his mate's chest. “Your mate would be ripped from you and our bond would be destroyed, in turn destroying you. When we were children, Dots father killed himself with a lethal dose of yin fen, he had been addicted to it for so long that he no longer knew how much he was using. We found his body and his death destroyed her mom. She couldn't even make it three weeks without him. The day Dot and I found her body was the worst of my parabatai's life, she never got over it” Magnus said.

“I have seen the destruction it causes, more times than I care to count,” Alec said with a shudder. “But how? How is it even possible? Why doesn't the downworld know about this?” he asked as he stared at his Alpha, trying desperately not to imagine him no longer being his Alpha, the thought was inconceivable. 

“Shadowhunters children aren't born with a second gender. We carry the genes in our DNA. they are triggered when we receive the Angelic rune when we turn nine” Magnus said, taking a gulp of his rapidly cooling coffee to stop himself from thinking of what would happen if anyone found out he was having this conversation with a downworlder. “As for why the downworld doesn't know, the clave wouldn't want our secrets handed over to our enemies. This is one of the reasons we aren't allowed to mate downworlders. In case you all found out. They wouldn't want you having any advantage over us” he said bitterly.

“But…. what would be so bad about downworlders finding out about it?” Alec asked as he stared at his mate. “Why would that stop you from mating with us?” he asked.

“In the times of Jonathan Shadowhunter, the shadow world was free to mate who they wanted” Magnus explained. “This war has been going on for millennia, Alexander. In those days, once downworlders found out that the offspring of shadowhunters didn't gain their second gender until they received their first rune they started hunting the children, wiping them out before they could become the enemy that would one day hunt them. Children were slaughtered in their beds, their parents died to protect them, shadowhunter and downworlder alike. It didn't matter that other downworlders where their parents, that what we now know as their DNA was passed on to their offspring, if there was a chance that that child would grow up to be a shadowhunter they were hunted, almost to the point of extinction” Magnus said, the horror he felt reflected on Alec's face.

“How does the downworld not know any of this?” Alec asked when he found his voice. The thought of hunting children made him feel physically sick. He couldn't think of one downworlder he knew who would do it. They could be vicious when it came to adult shadowhunters, but hunting children was a line none of them would be willing to cross. “surely someone would know” he said.

“What remained of the clave came together. They passed the law that forbade mating with downworlders” Magnus said. “The Angel Raziel promised Jonathan shadowhunter a wish. If the time ever came when the clave was in trouble, when they were on the verge of extinction they would be granted one wish. They used that wish to erase any mention, even the memory of the knowledge of what we were born as from the downworlders. An Angel's wish is powerful enough to affect even the downworld, once it was granted it was as if the knowledge never existed in the first place. You are the first downworlder, to the best of my knowledge, that has been told of this since then” he said, watching Alec as the information sank in.

“So the clave hates the downworld for the atrocities of the past and the downworld hates the clave for destroying so many lives with their law,” Alec said, dropping his head into his hands and scrubbing at his eyes. It was such a fucking mess, would the pain and misery never end? 

“I have never wanted anything as badly as I want you, Alexander,” Magnus said, taking his mates head from his hands and staring into Alec's eyes “but if I mate you and we bonded it would destroy you when they de-rune me. I couldn't take it, what that would do to you… it… I couldn't..” he couldn't even finish the sentence, raising his hand and brushing his knuckles up Alec's cheek. He cupped his face, wanting so badly to press his lips to his mate's perfect lips when he leaned into the touch, he couldn't stop from brushing his thumb over Alec's cheekbone. “I would give up my runes for you without a second thought if it wouldn't destroy you to do so” he whispered. He shuddered when Alec pressed a soft kiss into the palm of his hand before taking it in his own.

“Come on,” Alec said, his lips still tingling from where they had pressed into his Alphas hand. He gestured for Magnus to let him out of the booth, his cold coffee forgotten. 

“Where are we going?” Magnus asked as his mate pulled him along in his wake, their fingers interlocked as he followed. He would follow that man anywhere if it were allowed.

Alec pulled Magnus back into the alleyway across the street and created a portal for them as he turned to his mate. “I have something you need to see, then you can decide if you want to keep insisting that we shouldn't mate. You should know though, after all the things I have heard about you in the last forty-eight hours, I believe that if you set your mind to something you will accomplish it, look at the changes you have already wrought. Your law needs to change, before it destroys us all, Magnus. If you can find the strength to try and change it, I will stand beside you every step of the way. It’s about time you saw some consequences of your own” he said, leading Magnus through the portal, taking him to see an old friend.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finaly, he sees the fucking light!

Magnus’ gaze darted around when he and Alec stepped from the portal, his eyes taking in every detail with one quick scan, realising it was still a little light out as the sun was setting. His eyebrows raised in a silent question to his mate when he recognised where they were. King's Road in Chelsea, London. He looked up at the club owned by the high warlock of London, JuJu.

“Alexander, what…?” he asked, wondering why his mate would bring him here. He wasn't aware alec knew where here was! He almost laughed at the ridiculous thought, he may be the leader of the downworlders but he was still high warlock of Brooklyn and as such would probably be familiar with high warlocks all over the world and he had said that he was almost three centuries old. He studied his mates profile out of the corner of his eye, he would have placed him at around twenty-five, maybe a little older if he didn't know that Alexander was a warlock.

“We are here to see an old friend of mine, you know Sebastian Verlac?” he asked as he pulled Magnus into the club, noting it wasnt as busy as the previous night, a more relaxed ambience in the club before he realised it was probably a little early for the club scene being five hours behind New York. “you showed me the consequences of mating a downworlder, now you're going to see the consequences to us of not mating a shadowhunter” he said, squeezing his mates hand before pulling him to the seating at the back of the club, where he had spotted Sebastian.

“What do you mean, consequences of not mating a shadowhunter,” he asked curiously as he followed after Alec, his gaze darting about into the dark corners of the room. He was still a little jittery after the incident with the Seelie knight and didn't like the thought of his Omega walking through the darkened club, no matter how powerful he was. He hadn't exactly been thrilled about taking him into a dark alleyway, but he had needed to see Raj, to understand.

“Alec, two nights in a row! to what do I owe the pleasure?” Sebastian asked, rising to his feet when he saw Alec make his way towards where he sat. He almost spilt his drink when he saw who his friend was towing through the club, his eyes zeroing in on their clasped hands with the steady gaze of a predator. “And I see that you've brought dear Magnus with you, an unexpected pleasure,” he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he stretched his hand out, taking Alec's free hand in a firm shake, nodding to Magnus when he refused to break his grip on Alec's hand to accept a handshake from him. “Please, take a seat” he offered.

“Again, we aren't here for a social call, Sebastian,” Alec said, pulling Magnus down onto the padded bench seat, still keeping Magnus’ hand in a firm grip and resting their clasped hand in his lap. He knew he was probably pushing his luck but he just couldn't let go, he didn't miss the way Magnus didn't pull his hand away, seemingly content with where their hands were resting. The thought brought a small smile to his lips before he schooled his expression.

“Well, can I at least offer you a drink?” Sebastian asked as he watched the pair, smirking at their synchronicity, each movement of either of them mimicked by the other as if they were joined by some invisible force, a gravity that pushed and pulled them to occupy each others space with barely a spare inch between their bodies. It really was a shame, they looked so good together. He grinned at how cute they were when Alec asked for a gin martini at the exact same time that Magnus asked for a vodka martini. He got up to fetch their drinks, smiling as they both blushed a little when they glanced at each other.

“Have you known Sebastian long?” Magnus asked when the warlock left them alone. He sensed a familiarity to their relationship, a familiarity that only comes to those who have known each other a long time.

“Two hundred and fifty years,” Alec said with a wry grin. His grin faded a little when he thought of how they had met. He decided to elaborate when Magnus’ expression turned to concern, probably in response to the look on his face. He thought about where to start, deciding the beginning was probably best, with a sigh.

“Izzy and I were born in 1743 in a small village under the control of the New Netherlands colony, modern day new york,” he said when Magnus raised an eyebrow in question. “As you can probably imagine what it was like in those days, there was a “witch” and a “devil worshiper” in every small town, the mundanes weren't very inventive,” he said with an eye roll. “Our mother was a mundane, Maryse Lightwood, she was already suspected of being a witch with her dark hair and eyes when everyone else in the village was fair-haired and blue-eyed, being of Dutch and German descent” 

“When she became pregnant with us, twins and no father in sight, it only made things worse for her,” he said bitterly “twins were seen as witchcraft in those days. When she gave birth to us and the local midwife saw our warlock marks, the woman ran to fetch the villagers. Our mother, having just given birth to us, scooped us up and fled. She walked for three days to a remote cabin in the woods where it was rumoured a witch lived, she was barely alive. Caterina Loss took us in and explained what we were to our mother, saving her life in the process. They raised us together, Cat teaching us to control our magic and our mother never venturing outside of Cats wards. Our mother was a wonderful woman, losing her was one of the worst moments of our lives” he said, a stray tear running down his face as he remembered how frail their mom had been at the end. He smiled gratefully when his mate brushed it away.

“What about your father?” Magnus asked gently. Rubbing the tear into the skin of his palm where Alec couldn't see, wanting to keep it. “Did you ever find out who he was?” he asked.

“No, we know he was a demon, but neither of us has any idea of who he was,” Alec said. “All our mother ever said was that he was beautiful and charismatic and she gave herself to him willingly,” he said, wishing that his mother had been a warlock so she could have stayed with them.

“I was travelling the world when I came across the four of them,” Sebastian said, having arrived with their drinks without either of them noticing. “Maryse became like a second mother to me and Cat taught me magic I never even knew existed, she taught us all a lot. She is a very special 'witch'” Sebastian said with a laugh, shaking his head at the title the terrified villagers from miles around had given Cat. “we practically grew up together, we had some… fun times, didn't we Alec?” he said with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and a wink that had Magnus scowling at him.

“Ugh, not like that!” Alec said with a grimace at the look on his mate's face. “We had fun together, not with each other. Sebastian is practically our brother” he said with a shudder at the thought of anything more between them.

“You know what they say, brothers that go out whoring together stay together,” Sebastian said with a chuckle.

“Nobody says that!” Alec said with a grimace when a laugh burst from his mate. It was a lovely sound that made Alec's knees weak, especially when he saw all of his Alphas beautiful white teeth on display as he threw his head back. “Sebastian has a well-earned reputation, he shows no decorum, thinking it funny to brag about past conquests” he muttered.

“What about you Magnus?” Sebastian asked as he leant back in his seat to stare at the shadowhunter, curious about the personal life of his friend's mate. He had met Magnus many times, in a strictly professional manner and was curious as to his story. If Alec was hell-bent on making him his mate, he was planning on seeing a lot more of the shadowhunter and of course, he had to make sure he was good enough for his foster brother. “Do you have any family?” he asked.

“Only Dorothea,” Magnus said, taking a large sip of his martini, savouring it appreciatively after the rollercoaster of a night they had already had. “My parents were both shadowhunters at the institute in Jakarta. They died in a demon attack on the institute not long after the death of Dots parents. We were raised by the motley collection of shadowhunters left after the attack. Jia's parents moved there and took over the institute when the old head was killed in the attack. My parents died together, protecting Dorothea and I. We became parabatai not long after, vowing to always have each other's backs and to always look after each other. Jia became fast friends with us when her parents moved her there and chucked her into training with us. The adults used to call us parabatri as a joke, we were inseparable” he said with a smile.

“Shadowhunters have a sense of humour?” Sebastian joked, trying to lift the sombre mood the conversation had brought over the three of them. “so, why exactly are you here?” he asked curiously, wondering not only why they were there, but why they were together.

“Magnus, why don't you get us a refill? then we can discuss it. Sebastian drinks a whiskey sour, just put it on his tab” Alec asked his mate, nodding when he glanced at him with a confused expression on his face before disentangling their hands and heading to the bar. 

 

“You're here to show him what a rejected mate looks like, aren't you?” Sebastian asked as he watched Magnus wander over to the bar where Roger had just started his shift, the sun having set while they had been talking. “You can be a sneaky bastard sometimes, do you know that Lightwood?” he asked as Magnus moved to the bar, unprepared for the misery that was Roger.

“he needs to see. I think he genuinely doesn't know the consequences of the claves actions,” Alec said as he too watched his mate waiting to get Rogers attention. "I didn't believe him at first when he said he had no clue, but something makes me believe him,” he said.

Magnus stared at the vampire behind the bar, he looked like something from one of Dots zombie movies she insisted he watched with her. He waited for the man to look up from the patch of ground that seemed to be his main focus. He looked dreadful! as if he hadn't fed in weeks. He hadn't even realised vampires could get dark circles under their eyes or hollow cheeks. He looked thin to the point of being gaunt and was stooped so far over Magnus would swear he had a hump.

“What do you want, shadowhunter?” Roger asked with a glare, baring his fangs at the man staring at him. He wasn't in the mood for them today. “Finally decided to come out of the shadows?” he asked with a pointed glare.

“I… uh… shadows?” Magnus asked, a dumbfounded look on his face as he stared at the vampire, wondering if he was maybe a little crazy. “I just came to order some drinks,” Magnus said cautiously, giving him the drinks order. He stared at the vampires shaking hands when he dumped three glasses on the bar in front of him and stalked towards the other end of the bar, muttering to himself the entire way. He looked like Raj, Magnus thought as the vampire collapsed onto a stool and started rocking as he continued to have a conversation with the thin air. He was pretty sure he caught the name Anna as he scooped the drinks up and returned to his mate and Sebastian, surprised when they rose to their feet and led him through a door in the corner of the bar into an office with a large comfortable sofa.

“I think there's something wrong with your barman, Sebastian,” Magnus said as he took a seat next to Alec, subconsciously leaning into his Omega as Alec did the same thing. He didn't notice Sebastian's incredulous stare as he sipped his drink.

“Magnus, that is what happens to downworlders when they get rejected by their mates,” Alec said. “His mate was an omega shadowhunter who rejected him and disappeared without a trace. He thinks she hates him and wants nothing to do with him but I don't think that's true, is it?” He asked, glaring at Sebastian as he stared at his mate. He gestured with his hand, creating a projector like screen in front of them and pulled up a picture of Steven Underhill, sitting on the sofa with Simon.

Magnus stared at the picture of a pitiful looking vampire, silently watching as Alec started pulling picture after picture up of miserable, ill-looking downworlders, describing what he was seeing as he stared at the screen. He forgot about his drink as he watched the gallery of misery roll before his eyes.

“Vampires starve themselves, having to be force fed when they are rejected, just to keep them alive,” Alec said, showing him several pictures of the downworlders he had met on his round the world portal trip. “Werewolves challenge their ALPHAS, hoping that the toxic bites will kill them. Warlocks destroy themselves with their own magic, letting it build up and flame out of them. Seelies are so attuned to nature that they literally need sunlight to survive. They lock themselves away underground, refusing any form of sustenance if there is nobody there to force them to live” he said, watching his mate as he stared at the screen, his eyes darting back and forth as his expression turned from pity to anger to shame. He gestured to Sebastien to give them a minute. “I take it you really didn't know?” he asked.

“When shadowhunters have come to me in the past, they asked for their transfers and left and that's it,” Magnus said as he stared at the picture of a pyxie his mate had left on the screen, so skinny and pale she was almost transparent. He could see her bones and veins through the skin, the image ingraining itself in his brain. “They never said why, they always gave some satisfactory reason, got their transfer and left. I didn't know until one of the shadowhunters at the institute came and asked me for a transfer. He was an appalling liar, Dot and I managed to get it out of him eventually” he said, his eyes darting back to the image on the screen. 

“Does your clave actually talk about anything?” Alec asked as he watched his mate scrub his hand across his face. He took Magnus’ glass and put it on the coffee table in front of them along with his own, taking Magnus' hand in his. “When their mates leave them, the downworlders, when they have nobody to look out for them, a lot of the time they kill themselves, unable to bare living without their mates,” he said.

“I… didn't… know” Magnus said, staring at his mate. "why did nobody ever tell me? all those meetings with downworlders, none of them once ever said anything," he said.

"the same reason your clave never told us about their children, they didn't want them having an advantage over us, picking us off while we are at our weakest," Alec said "your shadowhunters disappear before they can see the results of their actions"

“We are so bent on saving our own skins, ensuring the survival of our own species that we are inadvertently killing yours," Magnus said, staring at the ground as shame started to spread through him. "So much hatred and death and violence on both sides, for what? So that we can keep our secrets? How much blood has been spilt? how many people have died so that we can continue to kill each other? spill more blood, take more lives and destroy what is left over with the loss” he snarled, hating nothing more than he hated himself at that moment.

“that is why we have to fight it, Magnus,” Alec said, kneeling in front of his mate when he continued to stare at the ground, refusing to look at him. He held onto Magnus' hands tightly. “We have to change this law. It can't go on like this anymore. It is destroying the downworld and if the shadowhunters are anything like us it is probably tearing them apart too. We have to fight, not only for ourselves but for our people too” he said, catching his Alphas chin and trying to lift his head, sighing when his mate refused to look at him.

“Fourteen,” Magnus said, slamming his eyes closed when Alec tried to catch his gaze.

“Fourteen what?” Alec asked, confused by the word Magnus blurted out, taking in the shudder that ran through his body, the look of shame on his face.

“I have personally de-runed fourteen shadowhunters over the last ten years” Magnus whispered “which means I have personally been responsible for destroying twenty-eight lives. The people I have de-runed deserved their fates, their crimes where despicable. But their mates, their future mates, they didn't deserve to have them ripped away from them. How can you want to mate me? How can you even bear to look at me, I have perpetuated this behaviour. I've stood by while the clave has systematically hunted your people and destroyed countless lives. How can you even bear to be near me? You should hate me. Your better off without me, Alexander” he said, flinching when he felt his mate pushing in between his knees as his hands come up to wrap around the back of his neck.

“You have done more for the downworld in the last decade than any other shadowhunter has done in centuries,” Alec said as he pressed his forehead against Magnus’ when he wouldn't look at him, feeling the shudder that ran through his Alpha's body. His own eyes slammed shut when his Alphas arms came around his back, gripping desperately onto him. “Don't you ever talk about yourself like that again, do you hear me? You could have been out there with the rest of them, hunting and killing for no good reason. Instead, you have put your blood, sweat and tears into saving the shadow world from themselves. I have talked to countless downworlders, the things they have told me, the miracles you have achieved only make me respect you, I couldn't be prouder of your accomplishments. I could never hate you, you are my Alpha” he whispered, skimming his nose up and down Magnus’ in a comforting gesture.

A shiver ran down Magnus' spine when their lips met, a gentle brush that was barely a peck but left his lips tingling. He wasn't sure which one of them initiated it, maybe neither of them, as their lips met again, falling together naturally. He sighed into it, his breath mingling with Alecs as he gave in to his instincts, unable to stop himself even if he wanted to. He didn't, he never wanted to stop kissing his Omega, not when it felt so right. He pressed his lips harder to his mates, more insistent, his breath catching when Alec moved with him, the tilt of his head coming naturally as he deepened the kiss, his tongue darting out to lick across Alec's plump bottom lip, letting him decide if he wanted to deepen it.

Alec opened up for his Alpha when felt his tongue dart out, sighing at the shocks that flooded his body as he accepted Magnus tongue into his mouth. It was even better than he imagined as swirled his own tongue into Magnus’ mouth, breathing hard as he inhaled his mate's oxygen, needing it desperately, refusing to part his lips from his Alphas just to breathe, who needed to breathe anyway? a giggle bubbled up through him at the thought. The giggle turned to a small whine when Magnus broke the kiss with a small smile.

“Whats so funny, Omega?” Magnus growled against Alec's lips, breathing hard from the lack of oxygen.

“I was wondering how long I could survive on your breath, Alpha” Alec whispered, pressing his lips softly to Magnus’ again, not quite ready to break away. He melted when Magnus kissed him back, one, two, three small pecks what stole his breath again at the softness of it. He buried his nose in Magnus’ neck, inhaling his beautiful scent as he pressed his nose to the scent glands there when they broke away again.

Magnus couldn't stop himself from inhaling deeply as his nose found Alec's scent glands, losing himself in his scent, the same way his omega was, sinking into the moment as he held Alec's body a little tighter to himself not wanting the moment to end.

“You have some thinking to do, Magnus” Alec said as he broke away from the hug, His hands slid down Magnus’ arms, his mind storing away the feeling of the muscles there for further inspection later, to grip his mates hands in his own as he sank back down, looking up into those beautiful brown eyes that he was sure he would dream of if he could get more than a few hours sleep at a time. “You need to start thinking of your own happiness, our happiness. We need to fight this law otherwise we will end up just like the rest of them” he said, never taking his eyes from Magnus’ 

**

“Magnus… Magnus… MAGNUS WAKE UP” Dot shouted in his ear when shaking him didn't wake him up. She jumped back when he snatched a seraph dagger from his nightstand “Magnus, it's me, put that away” she said as he stared blearily up at her. She climbed over him onto the bed when he dropped the dagger and switched his lamp on, slumping into the soft pillows. She felt as though she could sleep for a week, her eyeballs were aching. By the Angel she was tired!

“Dorothea, where have you been?” Magnus asked, rolling over to look at the clock “you had better have a good reason for waking me up at 4.30 in the morning, this is the first time I've gotten any sleep in almost a week and I only got to bed an hour ago” he said. He had gotten back from London just before midnight, his mate portalling him straight into his room. 

He had lain in bed for hours, his lips still tingling from their kiss as he thought about everything that had happened that night before coming to a decision. He had sent his mate a fire message, letting him know that he wanted to fight for them before finally falling into a much-needed sleep, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from him.

“Have you been in Alicante all this time? Why are you waking me up” he mumbled as he buried his face back into his pillow, deciding to just rest his eyes for a moment. Until she shook him again. “What?” he moaned, his confusion written all over his face as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

“I got Jia’s warlock to portal me back straight into your room, there's something you need to see, Magnus,” she said, pulling a laptop from her bag and switching it on. She plugged her USB stick into the port as he watched her curiously, his eyes clouding when he saw the USB stick. 

“Dorothea, what is that?” Magnus asked, his voice rising in alarm as he sat up. “Please don't tell me that is what I think it is?” he asked her, groaning as file after file started to appear on the screen. “Dorothea, please tell me you didn't download those files from the servers in the Gard? I only sent you for a list of names!” he said, horrified as he stared at the screen.

“I had to, you needed to see it, Magnus,” she said, turning the laptop so he could get a proper look at it, pulling the latest file up. “Look at this, they are all the same, there's at least a hundred more like it, I grabbed as much as I could. They have been lying to us this whole time, Magnus!” she said, watching his face turn from horror to anger.

Magnus stared at the screen as he read the file of an Omega shadowhunter. “What the fuck is this?” he growled out, his anger rising the further down the page he got.

 

Name: Annalise ‘Anna’ knightborn:

Sex: Female

Age: Twenty Three

Parents: Deceased- no siblings

Location: Wrangel Island

Previous location: Ontario- transferred from London

Status: Omega- unmated

Mate: Vampire- Alpha Location: London Name: Roger Smith

 

Evaluation: 

Knightborn shows signs of severe depression resulting in severe bouts of insomnia and periods of self-inflicted starvation. She was dismissed from duty and transferred for treatment four months ago. She is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation under the care of Brother Ezechiel. She shows no signs of improvement. Possible de-runing is advised if she shows no further improvements by the end of the current treatment cycle.

 

“Every file is the same, psychosis, self-harm, self imposed starvation, insomnia, depression, suicide” Dot said as she stared at Magnus “the list goes on and look, she rejected her mate and they are still going to de-rune her, just tossing her aside because she is no longer useful” she said angrily

“What is the clave playing at?” Magnus asked as he clicked on another file, a male Beta, unmated, transferred, similar symptoms to Anna. He flicked back to the first file as the name Anna rang a bell, putting it together when he saw the name, Roger. Roger from JuJu “come out from the shadows?” he muttered to himself.

“Huh? ” Dot asked before she pulled the laptop from his hands and clicked on a corresponding file before turning it back to him “look at this, they have been following shadowhunters and downworlders. They pulled her from duty and locked her up when she couldn't live without her mate, they have been doing tests on them and tossing them aside when they were done with them” she said as she showed him pages of observations of the comings and goings of Roger and Anna. 

“Who is responsible for this?” Magnus asked, letting her take the computer from him. He watched her click a few buttons, the skills needed to access the information beyond him, she was always more technically minded than him. 

“The last known clearance used to access the files is Jias but the most used clearance was Malachai,” she said, showing him the clearance log. “The files were last accessed just after he was de-runed. Do you think she had anything to do with this?” she asked, not wanting to believe their friend could be responsible for the capture and de-runing of innocent shadowhunters. “Magnus, they gave up their mates and where still de-runed,” she said as she stared at her parabatai, just like he had. 

Dot fumed silently as she watched him process it all, her anger mirrored on his face. He had rejected his mate out of duty for the law and there was a chance that he could end up like that, going through all that heartache for nothing. It wasn't fair, she might not want a mate but it was tearing him apart to stay away from Alec, and it might all be for nought. The thought of what he was going through pushed a growl from her throat that she didn't bother trying to hold back.

“I need to show this to Alexander,” Magnus said, throwing the covers back and jumping from the bed, throwing a pair of jeans and a grey hoodie over the t-shirt and boxers he had on. “Come on Dorothea!” he said when she sat gaping at him.

“Magnus, what do you mean, show it to Alec? these are clave files,” she said as she watched him pull his boots on. “Why would you need to show them to Alec?” she asked.

“Because he is my mate and I have decided to fight for him,” Magnus said, snatching the laptop up and shoving it back into her bag. “These files only prove that I made the right decision, that he was right all along. I can't believe I even thought of giving him up. I've been such a fool, Dorothea, I almost lost my mate for these assholes” he said, grabbing her arm and almost dragging her from the bed.

“Magnus, wait, we're going there now?” she asked, just managing to get her feet beneath her before she fell flat on her face. She let him drag her from the room, trying not to groan at how tired she was. She pulled her arm free and activated her stamina rune as she followed him through the silent institute, stopping in her tracks when she got to the Ops centre, inhaling deeply as a faint scent hit her nostrils.

“Dorothea? What are you doing?” Magnus muttered when he realised she wasn't following him. He stared at her when she just stood there sniffing the air. “Come on, we have to go,” he said, marching back to her side and tugging on her arm, frowning and yanking his hand back when she growled at him. 

“What is that?” she asked as she tried to drag in as much of the faded scent as possible, it wasn't strong enough for her to identify what it was, barely a tickle but enough to grab her attention. “What…?” she mumbled when he grabbed her hand and tugged her forward again. She followed when the scent continued up the corridor and past the bank of elevators to the front doors. She frowned when the scent disappeared as they stepped outside, sighing internally at the loss of the scent, whatever it was, it called out to a small part of her brain that she wasn't aware of. She took off up the street to catch up to Magnus as he ran flat out to get to Alec's place.

**

“What is wrong with you?” Magnus asked his parabatai as they rounded the last corner, entering the quiet road where Alec's store was located. He stared at the dopey expression on her face, her gaze unfocused as she grinned at him before shaking his arm off and crossing the road, not even looking before she stepped out onto the empty road. “Dorothea, focus! What is wrong with you? Dot…” he snatched his hand back from her shoulder when she spun on her heel and snarled in his face, what the fuck? He followed her cautiously when she turned on the spot and dashed across the road.

Dot rubbed her hand across her stomach, trying to sooth the butterflies that had taken flight there, completely ignoring Magnus as she moved forward. Well, it was more like she was being dragged forward, she thought to herself, grinning as she practically skipped down the sidewalk. She giggled at the happy, complete feeling that bubbled up from the tips of her toes to the very ends of her hair. When had she started feeling like that? As though she was broken, and needed something to fill in the cracks of those broken pieces of her. She walked straight up to the door she was heading for, almost putting her fist through the wood as she banged on the door impatiently.

Magnus gaped at her as she stood banging on his mates door, laughing away at herself. She had lost her damn mind, he thought as she bounced on the balls of her feet, hopping from one foot to the other. He thought she was going to start scaling the walls at one point, right up until his mate, dressed only in a pair of grey sweats and bare-chested flung the door open with a glare. Both Magnus and Alec froze as Dot barked OMEGA out. He couldn't stop a snarl ripping from him when she manhandled his mate, ignoring Alec as he slapped her hands away from his chest and gaped at her. It took him a moment to realise she was trying to get past Alec. He snatched his mate out of the way as she bulldozed past him, both of them exchanging a mystified look before they darted after her, hand in hand.

Dot didn't even here the litany of words that poured from her mouth as she was dragged, lungs first through the store, inhaling deep lungfuls of that scent that had caught her attention at the institute. OMEGA MINE OMEGA CLAIM OMEGA she barked out as she ripped the curtain aside and darted down the short hallway, all the while sifting through the different notes of the scent that was assaulting her. Honey and peony and a delicious base note vanilla, all woven together and wrapped up in pure Omega, a scent that called to the most primal part of her. 

It was as though all of her senses were on high alert but her brain couldn't recognise the signals her nose, eyes and ears were sending to it. Her vision tunnelled and her brain completely shut down as she went on the hunt for the source of that scent, a predatory grin spreading across her face when she found the stairs, taking them two at a time to get there faster. She thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest as her skin tingled. She let out a vicious snarl as a tiny part of her clouded brain registered the fact that another Alpha was following on her heels. He couldn't have what was hers! 

Magnus ground to a halt as Dot turned on him. Was she… was she baring her teeth at him? He took a step back, pulling his mate behind his back as Dot almost issued a challenge for dominance to him. He continued backing Alec up until she stopped growling at him. He could feel his mates breath on the back of his neck, the only thing that stopped him from accepting the challenge he heard in her tone, as Alec stared wide-eyed over his shoulder at the snarling woman. The need to protect his Omega was the only thing strong enough to keep him from snarling out a challenge of his own.

Dot turned on her heel and darted down the hallway, the scent overpowering her once again and driving her forward as every cell of her body, every single instinct she possessed screamed at her to get to the Omega that was just there, just out of reach. She almost ripped the door from its hinges when it got in her way. She darted into the apartment, skidding to a stop in the middle of the open plan room and spinning around, her gaze taking in the entire room in one sweep. Where was her Omega? 

Her eyes zeroed in on an archway in the corner of the room when a crash sounded from that direction swiftly followed by running feet. A shudder ran through her body as she stood rooted to the spot when the scent got stronger, scraping up and down her spine with electric shocks and wrapping itself around her soul.

David crashed to the floor as the most amazing, stunning scent wrapped around him. It took him a second to realise he had fallen from the bed in his uncle's spare room as the ground smacked into him. He could barely think through the scent that was trying to drag him up off the ground. His socks slipped against the hardwood floor as he tried to gain his feet, almost giving up on the idea and simply crawling out of the room when he couldn't get up fast enough. His body was practically vibrating with the intensity of the shiver that ran down his spine, his brain screaming the word Alpha at him over and over again. 

He ripped his socks off and launched himself from the room when he couldn't get a grip on the floor to get up. He ran flat out down the hallway ALPHA ALPHA MY ALPHA pouring from his mouth as the heavenly scent of Lilly's and freesias and a base note of vanilla all laced with the powerful raw scent of Alpha invaded his nose and burrowed its way into his brain and his heart and his soul. His breath stuttered out as he blinked furiously at the sight that greeted him when he reached the living area of the apartment. His eyes devoured the woman that was stalking towards him like a predator. 

Dot stared at the man as he ground to a halt in the doorway. Her gaze swept over every inch of his body, her breath hitching when she realised he was wearing only a pair of boxers. She took in the deep tan, rippling muscles, brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, eyes she stared into, almost able to see the mans soul there. Fuck! He was perfection. Her head tilted back to keep eye contact with him as they got closer, he at least a foot taller than her tiny 5ft 3 frame but she liked them tall.

David stalked forward, unable to drag his eyes away from the tiny woman dressed all in black leather, her skintight outfit showing off her evenly proportioned curves. Fuck! She was hot! His eyes lingered on her dark brown hair, shining where the light bounced off it. She looked like a tiny angel, complete with shining halo. His eyes swept over the flawless deep golden skin and beautiful high cheekbones to zero in on her stunningly beautiful brown eyes. He held his arms out when she launched herself the last few steps and practically climbed him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he held her by her leather clad thighs, barely registering the weight of her in his arms.

“Dot Rollins” she whispered when she was eye level with him, a huge grin spreading across her face as he flashed his white teeth at her in a dazzling smile. She stared into his eyes, memorising every eyelash as she inhaled his scent. She couldn't stop herself from skimming her nose up the side of his neck, trying to take as much of it in as possible.

“I'm David, David Lewis” he muttered, his eyes slamming closed when he felt the very tip of her perfect nose brush against his skin. He couldn't stop himself from spinning her weightless body around and almost slamming her into the wall as she moulded herself to his body, her scent wrapping around him and scrambling his wits. It was then that he lost control of his magic, small pulses of it shooting into her thighs where he held them, causing small gasps and moans to escape her beautiful lips. The sound had his breathing turning shallow.

Alec and Magnus gaped from the doorway, their mouths hanging open as Dorothea “I’ll never take a mate” Rollins and David “I’d never go with a shadowhunter” Lewis practically fucked against the wall. The way they had moved towards each other was the most primal thing either of them had ever seen, like two wild animals completing a mating dance. Magnus cleared his throat as Alec tried to look at anything but his nephew and his mates parabatai.

The sound of a throat being cleared, loudly, broke through the haze that had clouded Dot and Davids brains, the realisation that they weren't alone sinking in when their lips were an inch away from each other. It was then that Dot realised that the sensations running through her thighs and shooting into her body were magic. Just in time for David to realise that the black tattoo in the middle of her chest, poking out of the top of her black tank top was, in fact, a rune.

“Fuck!” they muttered at the same time as they gaped at each other, each staring into the eyes of the one person made for them and the one person that they could never have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck! lol


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> good laaaawd get your hankies out!!!

Magnus gaped at his parabatai, watching the realisation sink in as she stared at David. He watched the emotions roll across her face like a tidal wave, complete and utter happiness turned to shock, fear, desire, confusion, need, pain, self-loathing, anguish, to say she looked conflicted was an understatement. He glanced at his mate when he felt Alec squeeze his hand. Alec looked equally as shocked as he was. His eyes snapped back to Dot when he heard a ragged gasp escape her. 

“But… but… but…” Dot gasped out as her world crashed down around her. Everything she thought she knew about herself, about her life and what she wanted from it was quickly disintegrating, sliding out of her grasp before she could grab a hold of it. 

But she didn't want a mate. But they caused nothing but heartache. But this wasn't supposed to happen to her. But she had never felt so safe and complete in her entire life. But she hadn't even had a will of her own, so consuming was the pull. But she never wanted to let go. She stared at the man holding onto her, holding her millimetres above the quicksand that would pull her down and consume her if he let go. But but but, the word looped through her mind, pulling her in a thousand different directions.

“No! No no no” David cried as the realisation hit him. His mate was a shadowhunter, the one thing he had never even thought of all those times he had thought about who his mate would be. Why? Why him? He was supposed to be mated to a warlock, his mate couldn't be a shadowhunter. He was supposed to mate a warlock and settle down and raise a family with them, with one of his own kind, not somebody that he was supposed to hate, someone who was taught to despise what he was.

How was it possible to feel so much for someone that was supposed to be his enemy? He stared up into her eyes, a shiver running down his spine and tingling out through his entire body. He saw their future, the family and the home and the life they could create if they weren't a shadowhunter and a warlock. It wasn't fair! He tried to be a good person, he had made his fair share of mistakes, more than his fair share if he were being completely honest with himself, but what had he done to deserve this? Why was he being punished?

Dot couldn't breathe! Her stomach clenched at the thought of being so dependent on somebody else and at the thought of how lonely, how miserable she would be without that person that was made for her. She hadn't even realised how broken she was, how lonely and terrified and sad she had been for so long. By the Angel! How long had she been feeling like this? She had always had Magnus, he was all she had ever needed, wasn't he? He was the only person who had ever put her first instead of deserting her. Why did she feel as though she had been lying to herself for so long? that it was enough and that she would never need any more than that?

And now the universe had literally dragged her to this man, this beautiful man that called to the most basic part of herself. She stared into his eyes as her chest constricted, setting her lungs on fire as she fought for breath that wouldn't come. She saw the future that she had never wanted, the future she had done everything she could possibly have done to avoid. It was terrifyingly beautiful and perfect and more than she deserved.

David wanted to slam his eyes shut, to block it all out as the pain crashed through him in waves, punching him in the gut repeatedly as it tore through him. But his traitorous body wouldn't let him. He couldn't even look away from the beautiful woman in his arms. He watched the realisation sink into her at the same time. He desperately wanted to wipe the look on her face away, to protect her from the whole fucked up situation but he couldn't even protect himself.

His stomach twisted as he thought about what would happen to them. They couldn't be together but he already felt as though she were a vital part of him. Her fucked up law would stop them being together. She would follow her duty and leave him, leave him alone like he had been for so long. He couldn't help himself, couldn't stop himself from inhaling every bit of her that he could, her scent, the feeling of her body pressed against his, every inch of her beautiful face before she ripped his heart from his chest.

Dot didn't have relationships, she fucked. She never felt, wrapping her heart in steel and ice and a brick wall that was a hundred feet tall. If she couldn't feel, if she didn't invest herself, then they couldn't hurt her, they couldn't take away what she had built for herself and make her weak. They couldn't drag her heart from her chest and rip it to shreds if they couldn't reach it. They couldn't leave her if she left first.

And now David was here, his scent wrapping around her, promising the home that she hadn't even realised she had wanted or needed. His hands, gripping her where like a vow, that he would hold her up, that he would give her the strength that she had always thought she possessed but was only just realising she sorely lacked. How? How was he able to smash down every defence she had ever built with nothing more than a gentle but firm grip, a breath against her face and a glimpse of a life together that was taking root in her brain.

David had spent almost an entire century doing what he wanted, travelling the world, partying, fighting, fucking. He had had agreements and one night stands, rode his heats out with whoever had been available, never letting himself think about the fact that it was meaningless, that he was surrounded by people and yet completely alone. He had ignored it, pushed it aside and pretended like the fact that he didn't have a mate and a family of his own didn't affect him. He had been so wrong!

How was he going to let her go when she cast him aside? The thought had tears streaming down his face. She was already burrowing her way into his soul, the promise of a life that he had been waiting for without fully realising what it would mean to him. Deep down he had wanted someone to share his life with but he hadn't realised until he had seen Dot just how deeply that want, that need had run, not until he had held her in his arms.

He needed to protect himself! He would have to push it down, give it all up and force himself not to feel any of it, not just for himself but for her. If he didn't it would destroy him, leave him a broken wreck like all the others, the ones that couldn't live without their mates. He would force himself to let her go, to turn around and walk away and close off that part of himself that felt anything. If he didn't feel it, it couldn't drag him under the wave of misery that was threatening to break over his head. He stared up at her, memorising every detail of his mate that his traitorous brain could absorb, steeling himself for the moment he would have to let her go.

Dot felt the sting of tears threaten to spill over as she realised she had to let go, she wasn't allowed to have this, she didn't want to be vulnerable and weak and a slave to her base impulses. She couldn't let go, she was a broken shell of a woman and he was the only thing that had any possibility of filling in the hollow place that her parents had scaped raw when they had abandoned her, she couldn't leave him. She wasn't allowed him but she had never wanted anything more in her entire life than she wanted the man she was wrapped around. How had she made it this far as half a person? The other half walking around, living some other life without her. Had he felt like this? Had he been waiting for her to come along and complete him? The way she had without even realising it?

She had thought she had understood when she had felt Magnus’ feelings through the parabatai bond when he had been holding Alec at the hunter's moon and she had felt how complete he had felt with his mate in his arms. What a joke! She had understood nothing! She wasn't even in the same stratosphere as understanding. It was a compulsion, a physical need that stole your will. How could something you have no control over feel so right? How can something you don't get to decide make you not care about that fact? How could somebody become the entire focal point of your life in a matter of seconds? And how was he able to look at her like she had just become his entire world?

The thought made her shudder. He couldn't think about her like that! She was broken, she was selfish and unworthy of that look in his eyes, the look that said she was the answer to every question he had ever asked. She would destroy him, she would drag him down and cause him nothing but misery and heartache and pain. Because that is what mates do to each other, she only had to look at those clave files to understand that, she only had to think of her mother's bruises and broken bones, of the tears she had cried and the blood she had bled. She only had to think of her cold lifeless body to know what kind of destruction she would cause him. 

So she had to leave him before it was too late. Before he ended up just like her mother. She had to protect him from the monster that she would become. She couldn't let go! She tried, but her body refused to obey the instructions her brain was screaming at her, unwind your legs, untangle your hands from his hair, loosen his grip, climb down and walk away. Why wouldn't her body listen? Why was it clinging on when it would cause nothing but misery for both of them if she stayed?

“Magnus… help me...” Dot screeched when she finally managed to draw a ragged breath into her screaming lungs. She tried to stop the tears from filling her eyes, from distorting her vision of her mate's beautiful face. A shudder ran through her body as the blood in her veins turned to ice. Her mate! “Magnus, please... help me... I can't let go… please… help...” she screamed, great heaving sobs racking her body as she begged her parabatai to save her from herself, to save David from her.

Magnus was across the room the instant he heard the desolate scream rip from her, his mate on his heels. He had watched every emotion flit across her face, almost too fast to track. Almost. He knew exactly what she was going through, he had felt every emotion she had just displayed, emotions she had spent years locking away, stamping them down until she no longer felt them.

“Its okay, I've got you,” Magnus said, trying to take her into his arms “Dorothea, let go, I've got you,” he said, trying to pull her arms from her mate's neck. She held on with a vice-like grip that he couldn't break.

“Uncle Alec… I have to… I cant… please?” David begged when his arms wouldn't release his Alpha, if anything, he was pulling her closer to his body. He fought himself desperately, his brain roaring at him to let go, that it would only hurt them both more if he didn't. But his body refused to co-operate. All he could do was cry as he stood clinging to her.

“David, let go, give her to Magnus” Alec whispered, his heart breaking at the look on his nephews face. He had never seen anything so sad in his long life. He just wanted to protect him. He could see the fear, the bitterness, resignation and a desperate longing as the tears poured down his face. He could see the beseeching look on his face, his nephew practically begging for help. He tried to tug Davids arms from around the shadowhunter, yanking at his arms but he refused to let go. The whimper that ripped through him almost ripped his own heart out. “Dot, let go of him, please, it is only hurting you both,” he asked her, trying to help Magnus pull her from his nephew's arms

“I cant, I can't let go of him” Dot screamed, her body refusing to break its hold on David. “He's mine, he's my Omega” she shouted before she could stop the words coming from her mouth. She could feel the shaking of her mates body as he cried, the same racking sobs that crashed through her own chest. She held him tighter, desperately wanting to comfort him, to stop the hurt she was inflicting on him. She went right down with him when he collapsed to the floor at her words, stroking her fingers through his hair. “I didn't know, Magnus… I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be like this. I'm sorry” she cried, staring up at her parabatai through her tears. He had tried to tell her but she hadn't listened, hadn't understood what he was going through. What kind of friend was she?

“David…” Alec started before his nephew cut him off.

“Just one more minute, please?” David begged as he rocked Dot in his lap, unable to stop the words coming from him. He couldn't help it, he knew he wasn't supposed to say that! That he was supposed to be letting her go, giving her up, to protect them both. But her words crashed through him, she had called him hers! Her Omega. Demons below! Why was it so hard? Why was his body fighting him, dragging it out? He buried his nose in her neck as another whine built in his chest, trying desperately to ground himself with her scent. 

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry” Dot whispered, only crying harder when she felt her mate's nose pressed against her scent glands. She should be able to protect him, not cause that horrific sound that was tearing out of him. It was tearing at her soul. “You deserve a good Alpha, not me. You deserve to be happy, I will only bring you pain and misery. I don't deserve a mate, you will be better off without me” she said as she held him tighter, soaking his bare shoulder as she tucked her head into it, dragging great shuddering breaths in. why did he smell so good? Why did her skin tingle where it met his? It wasn't fair!

“Don't...Don't say that. You are my Alpha” David shouted into her shoulder. He clung to her, wondering what she meant. What was so bad about her? 

“Dorothea, what are you talking about? You are a wonderful Alpha” Magnus said, dropping to the floor beside the couple as he stared at his friend. “Dorothea, look at me. Look at me, now!” he growled at her, pushing his ALPHA tone out to wrap around her. He stared into her eyes, searching them when her head snapped up. “Why are you saying that? You deserve to be happy, you deserve a mate” he growled.

“I will destroy him, just like my father did” she choked out. “He ruined my mother and then left her. He was a selfish bastard. And she left me, for him, after everything he did to her. That's what having a mate does to you! I will ruin him. Look at him, he doesn't deserve that” she said.

“How dare you talk about yourself like that” Magnus snarled in her face. “You are nothing like him or your mother. Where is my parabatai? Where is the woman who fights for what she wants? For whats right? Where is the strong, sassy warrior who has saved me from myself time and time again? Do you want him, Dorothea?” he asked, staring into her eyes. He could see how much she wanted the man she was clinging onto so hard. But he wanted to hear it, she needed to hear it.

“It isn't about what I want!” she cried.

“No, it's about the law. The law is hard but it is the law, isn't that what you always talk about?” David asked bitterly, unable to even drag his hand away from her to wipe the tears from his face. “You will leave me because your clave decrees it. Because of your consequences. Fuck your consequences” he said, glaring between his mate and Magnus. “Another downworlder loses out, gets cast aside because of the clave…”

“You think I'm doing this because of the clave?” Dot asked as her gaze snapped back to her mate. “Fuck the clave and fuck their shitty law, it is a fucking joke! I couldn't give a fuck about the law right now. It's you, you deserve someone better. I don't even know how to be in a relationship. I don't know how to be someone's Alpha, how to not make you as miserable as I am” she said.

“There is nobody else. YOU are my Alpha” David said. He stared at her, his thoughts racing. Fuck the law? the three words had hope blooming in his chest. His eyes darted up to look at Alec, searching his face. He looked just as clueless. Did this mean she wasn't rejecting him because of the law? But because of some failing, she saw in herself? Fuck that! He thought as his gaze snapped back to her “as for what I deserve, do you think I got to the age of ninety without ever making a mistake? I'm not perfect, I've made my mistakes. I've caused my own fair share of harm. Are you rejecting me because of the law?” he demanded.

“No,” Dot said, looking him in the eye. “But I have to protect…”

“You should know, Dot, I am not some Omega in distress that needs protecting,” David said, gathering her up and standing up “You don't get to decide whether you are good enough for me or not. If you aren't going to reject me because of the law then you aren't going to reject me at all” he said, staring her directly in the eye. “Can you honestly say that you don't want me?” he asked.

“Of course I want you, more than I ever thought it was possible,” Dot said as she stared down at him. She had spent her entire life hating even the idea of a mate, never understanding the pull, the instant attraction others seemed to feel. That had flown out of the window the second she had scented him. “I have to…”

“Then I won't accept it. You don't get to reject me out of some obligation to protect me” he interjected, carrying her over to the sofa and sitting down with her in his lap. “You are my Alpha and I am your Omega, and that is all there is to it,” he said resolutely.

Alec had never been prouder of his nephew. He was just like his mom, stubborn and resilient and wouldn't take no for an answer. He almost laughed at the shell-shocked expression on Dots face. She looked as though somebody had dropped a bucket of icy water over her head. He leaned down and helped his mate up off the floor, seeing his own amusement mirrored on his face. “Maybe I should have tried that with you. Your parabatai doesn't know what has hit her” he muttered under his breath, making Magnus laugh

“What are you two laughing at? This isn't funny” Dot said, glaring at her parabatai and his mate. Her mate was flat out telling her that they would be mated. “I don't know how to be in a relationship, I will make your life a misery. You will hate me. I'm bossy and stubborn and a downright bitch” she said as she watched her Omega, waiting for him to dump her on the floor and run for the nearest portal. The thought made her stomach twist.

“You think I know how to be in a relationship?” David asked incredulously. “I've never had anything even close. I've had arrangements at most, just because I'm an old man, it doesn't mean I have any more experience in the matter. How about we learn together? You may as well just agree now, you think you are stubborn? You have seen nothing yet” he said with a smirk, pulling her in a little tighter.

Dot glanced around, seeing the way they where all staring expectantly at her. Why are they all ganging up? She wondered, she glared at the three of them, the butterflies in her stomach taking flight once more when she looked up into Davids' eyes. She saw that future there, the one with a home and a family. A family, something she hadn't had in a long time, hadn't really ever had. All she had ever had was Magnus. She was terrified, what if she said yes and she hurt him? What if he hurt her? That was the problem, she realised as she gazed into his eyes, loving somebody gave them the power to hurt you, to strip you bare and leave the deepest scars.

“Wherever you are, come back to me” David whispered when he saw the fear in her eyes. It wasn't just fear, it was a bone-crushing terror. Whatever her family had done to her it was going to take a hell of a lot to bring her through it. “I cant promise that every day will be perfect, we will have our ups and downs, or disagreements, I get the feeling you are as stubborn as I am” he said, smiling when a choked chuckle escaped her “but I promise I will never hurt you, you are safe with me” he said, trying to convey the truth of his words with his eyes.

Dot shuddered at the word safe. It was something she hadn't ever felt before, not really. But she saw the truth there, she felt an innate trust in him. She didn't know why but she believed him. She ducked her head into his neck, inhaling his scent before whispering "yes" in his ear, her silent tears dripping onto his bare shoulder once again. She sank into it when he wrapped his arms tightly around her. How did he do that? How did he make her feel like she was safe? 

Alec pulled Magnus over to the kitchen, giving them a moment alone. He flicked the kettle on, needing coffee and deciding to do it by hand. He glanced at his Alpha, seeing the worried look on his face. “He is a good man, Magnus” he whispered, taking Magnus’ hands in his own.

“I know, I like him. Its Dorothea I'm worried about” Magnus said, pulling his mate in and wrapping his arms around him. “She has spent so long pushing down her feelings, I'm worried she won't be able to let herself be loved. She throws a joke at every situation, always trying to keep everything light and upbeat. She thinks I don't know, but the nightmares she used to have as a child, the nightmares she still has now…” he shuddered, remembering her anguish-filled screams.

“If anyone can bring her through it, its David” Alec said “he is fiercely protective of his family and I think he will only be more so with his mate. It is something all the Lightwoods have in common. His last name might be Lewis, but he still has that Lightwood fire in his veins” he said with a chuckle.

“You're certainly a stubborn bunch, aren't you?” Magnus said, grinning at the smirk on his mates face “and sassy, you fight for what you want and fuck the consequences” he said with a smile.

“We lightwoods have a saying. We break noses and accept the consequences” Alec said, making Magnus throw his head back and get that toothy laugh out. Mother of demons he wanted to kiss him! “David would break a thousand noses and take the consequences with a grin on his face for those he loves, as would I,” he said, grinning when Magnus leaned his head up, his lips a bare inch away. He didn't hesitate to drop his head that last inch, catching his mates lips in a sweet, slow kiss, his heart rate spiking when Magnus deepened it.

Magnus groaned as the kettle boiling interrupted the kiss. He released Alec reluctantly, breathing a little harder than usual. He took the cups Alec placed on a tray and carried them out when his mate had the coffee pot filled, smiling when Dots nose started twitching at the scent of the coffee.

“Maybe we should all have a catchup” David suggested when Magnus and Alec curled around one another on the loveseat opposite the sofa he was sitting on, Dot sitting in his lap, clutching her cup and gaping at the two of them. He hadn't even realised his uncle had returned, having fallen asleep before he had gotten back. This seemed to be a new development. “It seems we have something to share,” he said with a smirk, glancing pointedly at his uncle and his mate.

“Yes that is an excellent idea, maybe somebody can explain to me how my brother and son have managed to catch themselves a couple of shadowhunters,” Izzy said from the doorway, Simon staring over her shoulder, both of them still wearing their pyjamas and breathing heavily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Lightwoods, breaking noses and accepting the consequences since 1743 lol
> 
> it looks as though Alec isn't the only one that has to fight for his Alpha!


	14. Chapter 14

“Izzy, what…?” Alec started as he caught sight of his sister and brother-in-law.

“Your wards went off in the middle of the night, what did you expect?” Izzy asked, her eyes darting between her son and brother, she didn't know where to look first. She settled for her brother when he raised his eyebrows in a silent question. “Ward detection spell. You live here all alone, I placed a spell on your wards to alert me when they go off” she said, her eyes darting back to David, why was there a shadowhunter sitting in his lap?

“What!? When?” Alec spluttered, glaring at his sister. He reached out with his magic, burrowing down through the layers of wards and protections. There! He felt it, a sliver of her magic, hidden in the spells he had placed around his apartment when he had settled there seventy years ago. “how long ago did you start spying on me?” he muttered, scowling at the superior look on her face.

“About seventy years ago and I wasn't spying, I was looking out for you,” Izzy said with a shrug, ignoring the look of indignation on his face. She stalking into the room, dragging her husband with her, to stand between Alec and Magnus, David and Dot. She stared at her son, sitting in nothing but a pair of boxers with Dot in his lap. She looked at them both, really looked at them. She saw the red-rimmed eyes and tired looking faces. She saw the way her son clutched Dot to him, the way she leaned into him, staring back up at her with a scared but almost defiant look on her face. She didn't miss the way their fingers were interlocked as they stared up at her. Her eyes widened as realisation sank in. “YOU TWO ARE MATES, ARENT YOU?” she shrieked, causing her husband to jump a foot in the air.

“What? Izzy, don't be ridiculous. David hasn't found his…” Simon started before he saw the looks on their faces. “But… but” he muttered as he gaped at his son. He had existed on this earth for 156 years and in all that time, he couldn't remember one situation where he had genuinely been speechless. His son had finally found his mate. And she was a shadowhunter.

“Of course he has, look at them!” Izzy said as she glared down at them. Her son's mate was a shadowhunter and she would reject him. She had heard time and time again about how Dot was a stickler for the rules, how she followed the law down to the last damn letter. And she was sat there in his lap, torturing him before she left. And he was letting her! “David, what are you doing? Don't be such a fool! You are stronger than that. Don't drag it out and make it worse for yourself. You stop this, you stop it now before she rips your heart out. How could you be so stupid as to allow this to…?”

“Don't speak to him like that!” Dot growled, jumping from her mates lap to put herself between him and his mom, glaring at her. “Don't treat him like some naughty little boy, caught with his hand in the cookie jar,” she said, glaring at the wide-eyed look on Izzy's face. She took a step to the left when her mate's mom narrowed her gaze and tried to look around her, blocking him from view of the enraged woman. She didn't miss the flash of fire in her eyes, the same look she had had before she had picked Magnus up and slammed him into the wall of his office, her hand almost twitched to the seraph blade in her thigh holster, almost.

“Who are you to speak to me like that?” Izzy growled, shaking Simons hand off when he tried to restrain her. Every one of her maternal instincts was pushing her towards her son, to protect him. Even if it meant protecting him from himself. “You would tor…”

“I am his Alpha, you will not speak to him like that” Dot said, staring the warlock down. She growled when Izzy tried to move past her again. She didn't know whether the rage flashing red in Izzy's eyes and the magic dancing at her fingertips was directed at her or David, but she wasn't letting the woman near him, she didn't give a shit that the woman was his mom.

“Oh, you're his Alpha are you?” Izzy said, the ice in her tone cold enough to freeze the blood in a man's veins. “What kind of Alpha sticks around only to torture their Omega, to toy with his heart before rejecting him and ripping away every one of his hopes and dreams? You get away from my son now before you cause him irreparable damage, damage that his FAMILY will have to fix. Let me past” she snarled, breathing hard. 

“You aren't getting anywhere near him” Dot snarled back, almost nose to nose with her. 

“Mom, Dot,” David said, cautiously standing up to move between the enraged women. “Stop, please. I’m…”

“Stay out of this David” Dot and Izzy said at the same time, Dot pulling him back behind her. She watched as Izzy's gaze darted back to her, watching every move the woman made. Her instincts were screaming at her to keep her Omega away, to pull him away from the danger the furious warlock presented to her mate.

The tension in the room was palpable. Simon, Alec, David and Magnus gaped at the two women as they squared up to one another, neither of them backing down. Simons respect for Dot jumped up by about a hundred notches, nobody talked to his wife like that! not if they wanted to continue breathing. He looked at his brother-in-law, seeing his own astonishment mirrored on Alec's face.

“Your parabatai is either brave or stupid” Alec muttered to his mate, his eyes never leaving his sister and Dot. “is she always so… so…?” he didn't quite have the words.

“Protective?” Magnus muttered back as he gaped at the women. “She is an Alpha, all she sees is someone coming at her mate. I'm guessing nobody ever stands up to Izzy like that?” he asked.

“Not if they want to keep their organs on the inside of their body,” Alec said, taking a step forward. His head whipped around when he felt Magnus’ hand on his arm. He frowned when his mate pulled him behind his body, shielding him from the growing tension between the two women.

“Take your hands off my son, now” Izzy breathed, “you think you can come in here and destroy him then walk away without a backwards glance? like the rest of your kind. What? you think I will let you break him and leave him because your precious clave demands it? leave us to clean up the mess you will leave in your wake?” she asked, baring her teeth at the shadowhunter.

“I'm not going anywhere, he is my Omega,” Dot said “and not you, not that joke of a law and certainly not that traitorous clave will keep him from me. HE IS MINE” Dot roared, pushing every ounce of Alpha she could muster into the words, not knowing if she surprised Izzy or herself more with the vehemence of her statement.

Izzy couldn't stop herself from taking a step back, staring at the woman in front of her, seeing her shock plastered all over the shadowhunters face. Her gaze darted around, bouncing from face to face. Apart from Simon, none of them looked particularly surprised at her statement. She turned around to look at Dot, taking in the defensive stance she had taken up in front of David, the way she stood on the balls of her feet, swaying slightly as she tried to shield every part of his body from her, which was ridiculous considering the size of her compared to her son, a small part of her brain thought. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Izzy asked as the words Dot had said penetrated her fog of shock and fury, leaving nothing but confusion in its wake. “What do you mean you aren't going anywhere?” she asked, looking up at David before her gaze found Dot again. 

“I am not leaving him,” Dot said, folding her arms and staring defiantly at Izzy. 

“But, your law. You will leave him because of your law, just like him” she said, pointing her hand in Magnus’ general direction, unable to take her eyes from Dot. She completely ignored the fact that he and Alec had been wrapped around each other on the love seat when she and her mate had arrived.

“The law can kiss my ass,” Dot said, loosening her stance when the sparks of magic disappeared from Izzy's fingers, even if she refused to budge from in front of her mate. She jumped a little when she felt Davids' arms come around her before sinking into his reassuring embrace.

“So… so… you aren't rejecting him?” Izzy asked, her eyebrows scrunched into a confused line as she stared at the two of them. Her heart contracted a little at the sight of her son with a massive grin on his face, his arms wrapped around the shadowhunter and his chin resting on the top of her head. “You are going to stay with him? you won't wreck him” she asked hopefully, all she wanted was for her son not to get hurt, to be happy.

“No, I'm not rejecting him. He wouldn't let me even if I wanted to” she said, a rueful grin breaking over her face when she felt her mate's silent laughter shake through his body. “I don't want to” she clarified as Izzy raised an eyebrow at her, her grin only getting wider when Izzy seemed to deflate before her eyes.

Izzy stared at them, both grinning away with soppy smiles on their faces. She looked at them, taking in the way David was wrapped around her, holding her tightly to him, her hands resting on top of his where they were clasped around her waist before turning to her husband, seeing a massive grin on his face, the same look plastered on Alec and Magnus’ faces. 

“SIMON, DAVID HAS FOUND HIS MATE!” Izzy shrieked, making them all jump before she launched herself forward to wrap them in a bear hug, trapping Dot between her and her son. “Did you hear? He has found his mate and she's not going to leave him” she shouted over her shoulder. Despite her initial reaction to the news that Dot was her son's mate, once she found out she wouldn't leave him, she was happy for them. Shadowhunter or not, she liked Dot, and the girl seemed to be protective of him, it was what any decent mother wanted for her child.

Magnus laughed at his parabatai, pulling his phone out to snap a picture of the frozen expression on her face, his mate clinging to him as he howled. He had never seen fear like it on her face. She could face down demons, capture rogue downworlders and shadowhunters alike and put most Alphas on their asses in five moves. But being hugged by her future mother-in-law had his friend trembling in her boots.

Dot didn't know what to do, especially when Simon elbowed his wife out of the way to wrap her and her mate up in an even tighter embrace than Izzy had. Was this what a hug from a parent felt like? She tilted her head back, in the confined space between the two men hugging her, to look up at her mate. The fear on her face must have been evident because David gently disentangled them from his dad and pulled her out of his reach.

“And what about you two?” Izzy asked as she rounded on Alec and Magnus. “Don't think I didn't notice the two of you wrapped around each other when we came in,” she said, staring at the way her brother clung to Magnus’ shoulder, wiping the tears of laughter from his face.

“We are going to fight the clave,” Magnus said, walking over to the windows and starting to pull the curtains closed. The sun was starting to rise and Simon seemed to be oblivious to the fact as he tried to pull Dot and David into another hug. “I don't know who I was trying to kid when I thought I could live without him,” he said as he moved from window to window.

“What about your clave?” Izzy asked, watching Magnus close the curtains, secretly touched that he would think about her mate. She did not want to piss on their bonfire but she had to think practically. “And what about your consequences? Do they not exist anymore? What if you decide to do this, both of you” she said, turning to include Dot. “and you change your minds? You can not promise them then take it back later. If you commit to this, you commit fully, you see it through. I will not have my family ripped apart if you both decide to leave them” she said, looking from shadowhunter to shadowhunter with flashing eyes.

“Izzy…” Alec started in a warning tone before Magnus cut him off.

“No its okay, Alexander, she is your family, she has a right to ask,” Magnus said, pulling his mate over to the sofa and pulling him down to sit in his lap, making room for everyone to sit down. He proceeded to explain, with the help of Alec about what he had been shown on their trip to London. And after a nod from Dot, what the consequences of mating downworlders were. To say that Izzy, Simon and David were shocked was an understatement.

“So the clave just banned shadowhunters from mating downworlders?” Simon asked from the loveseat, staring at Dot and Magnus, shaking his head when they nodded. “I understand why they did it, it was their children. But how long did they think that law would last? It is inhumane to keep mates apart.” he said.

The irony wasn't lost on Magnus, that a vampire was telling him what was inhumane and what wasn't. He had spent his entire life following the law, implementing it, never really thinking about the fact that there were people out there living without the other half of themselves. Because it hadn't happened to him, it had never had any effect on his life, on the lives of those he had cared about. The feeling of shame welled up in him again, he was embarrassed that he had never looked beyond his own life to see the pain others were going through.

“Don't, Magnus. Don't put this on yourself” Alec said when he saw the look on his mates face. “This isn't your fault. We are going to fix it like you have fixed so many other problems in the past. It is your future actions that count now. We can change this law so that nobody has to suffer this again” he said, squeezing Magnus’ hand.

“I don't understand though, this law affects downworlders so badly, does it not affect shadowhunters at all?” David asked his Alpha. “Don't get me wrong, I would never have wanted you to suffer but if you had walked away from me, would you have felt nothing at all?” he asked.

“I see why you needed to show Alec now,” Dot said to Magnus as she stood to retrieve her bag, forgotten in the doorway where Magnus had dropped it. She had thought he had lost his mind when he had said he was taking it to show Alec but she understood now, she already found the idea of keeping anything from David abhorrent. The thought startled her as she knelt next to the coffee table and took the laptop from her bag. She glanced at him, By the Angel he was gorgeous! Wondering how he had already burrowed his way so far into her soul.

“A couple of days ago, this matter was brought to our attention,” Magnus said, deciding not to tell them about Swanson, as much as he hated keeping anything from his mate, that story was not his to tell and he wanted to respect Swanson’s privacy. He hoped they would be able to make a change so that people like Chris didn't have to run away. He genuinely liked the guy and if he could help him be with his mate then maybe he could make up for all the ones he hadn't been able to help. “I sent Dorothea on a mission to the Gard, to retrieve a list of names, of shadowhunters that were possibly meant to be mated to downworlders. Dorothea, would you please explain what you found?” he asked.

Dot glared at her mate as he mouthed Dorothea her with a snigger, her eyes promising a life of misery if he ever used the name. She hated it even more than her childhood nickname, Dottie and Magnus was the only person she allowed to call her that. With a shake of her head, she turned to her… what was she supposed to call them? Her in-law’s? The Lewises? Mr and Mrs Lewis? She almost growled in frustration before reigning it in. she had wished for a real family as a child, a family that she never had and now she was faced with the prospect of considering these people family, it was overwhelming after having spent so long pushing that wish away. She switched her laptop on with a huff and turned it to face them.

“I arrived at the Gard in the middle of the night and made my way to the records room,” Dot said as they all gathered around her laptop, all squashed together. She shook her head as they all tried to get a good view before she yanked it off the table. With a few clicks and Alec's remote control in her hand, she cast the files onto his huge flat screen so that they could all see.

“I was sent for a simple list of names and ended up finding a hell of a lot more,” she said pulling up the latest file, Anna’s. “These are the files of shadowhunters that should have been mated to downworlders. They are just as distraught as your people. And furthermore, a lot of them have been de-runed, even after rejecting their mates. The consequences of the law we have all been following and enforcing over the centuries is nothing but a lie to keep us all in line. They gave up their mates for nothing” she said furiously. It had been bad enough telling her mate that she had to reject him, she shuddered at the thought of what it would have been like for them both if she had followed through with it.

“Fuck the law?” David asked, understanding dawning on him. If she hadn't of found out about this she would probably have left him, he might not have been able to convince her to stay with him, to break her law. He saw the nod of her head, thanking every demon and Angel in existence that she had found it before they had met.

“All the files that I searched had extensive notes attached to them,” she said, pulling up the files. “Medical records, transfer records, activity logs, files on their families, and their mates. Almost every transfer we or any of the other institutes have put requests in for the last fifteen years have been for shadowhunters that felt it was too hard to stay so close to their mates. Not all of the transfers though. Almost all of the unmated shadowhunters have been followed by their parabatai, the ones who haven't mated already” she said, realising she hadn't had a chance to fully explain to Magnus.

“I spent the entire day and well into the night combing through any file I could get my hands on,” she said, clicking onto another set of files, seeing the furious looks on the downworlders faces as they realised that the clave had been following their people. “There are also records of those that are currently residing in the silent city, a lot of them awaiting punishment for crimes against the downworld. Apparently, there are a lot of parabatai that blame the downworld for what has happened to their friends” she said with a scowl.

“Who is responsible for this?” Alec asked as he leapt to his feet, pacing up and down as he glared around the room. “They follow our people as if we are criminals for daring to be mated to yours. Your fellow shadowhunters blame our people for their ridiculous law, hunting us, like animals” he snarled, almost losing his grip on himself.

Magnus stared at his mate, stared at his eyes. Had they just…? He watched as Alec's eyes intermittently flashed from hazel to… he couldn't see “Alexander?” he asked, getting to his feet and pulling his Omega in, gazing up into his eyes. They had, they were flashing a dark grey, like storm clouds, like a choppy midwinter sea in the middle of a winter storm. He pulled his mates face back around when he tried to look away, forcing him to look at him. He gazed at them “What…?” he asked as he stared into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He had thought his mates hazel eyes were beautiful, but these eyes, they were mesmerising, flashing from dark grey to hazel to silver.

“You remember how I said the midwife saw mine and Izzy's warlock marks before running to fetch the villagers?” Alec asked, desperately wanting to bury his face in his Alphas neck, to hide the eyes that had almost gotten him and his sister and mother murdered. The eyes that it had taken him and Izzy years to learn how to control and glamour. “We can control it most of the time but sometimes, they just slip out. There are only two things that make us lose control like that, uncontrollable rage and uncontrollable passion” he said.

Magnus thought back to the day he had met his mate, had it happened then? No, his mate had had his eyes closed when he had lost his control over himself. Every time he got angry he did that, slammed his eyes closed. Had he done that to hide them? From him?

“Look at me, Alexander” he whispered in his mates ear. “You never have to hide any part of yourself from me, ever. Your eyes are a part of you, as much as your heart and your soul. They are perfect, like the rest of you” he said, gazing into them when Alec stopped trying to hide them from him. Pinpoint round pupils, so small the where almost none existent, surrounded by storm clouds. By the Angel, they where perfection! He raised his head and kissed each of Alec's eyelids as they slid closed when his breath hit his mates face.

Dots eyes darted between Alec, Izzy and David. Did it happen to all of them? She wondered. She stared when Izzy caught her eye, before flashing her warlock mark at her. She almost jumped when her eyes flashed bright red and yellow, flickering flames burning there. She had seen the flashes when Izzy had been angry, thinking she had imagined it but there they were, on full display, fire dancing in her eyes, literally. Her head snapped down to stare at her mate, still sitting on the floor at her feet. Did his…?

David took a deep breath before he dropped the glamour over his eyes, catching Dots laptop when she dropped it. He watched fearfully as she fell to her knees in front of him, barely breathing when she reached up to brush the tips of her fingers across his cheekbones.

“David… they… are beautiful” Dot stuttered out when she gazed into her mate's eyes. She saw ocean waves there, his eyes had turned blue, fluctuating between Mediterranean sea blue and the darkest blue, almost black, of the ocean at night. “Why would you ever hide them?” she asked as she watched the waves roll across his eyes, the pupils almost having disappeared.

“Because people stare, it makes me uncomfortable, it makes us all uncomfortable,” he said. They had all been called demons at some point when they had been unable to control themselves. They might be part demon but it still hurt to be called such. “It's hard not to think of yourself as a monster when that's what people call you,” he said, thanking Lilith that she wasn't running screaming from the room.

“You are not a monster! You tell me who called you that” Dot muttered as she stared into his eyes, searching each fraction of a millimetre of his eyes, trying to memorise every colour that flashed there. “Tell me who made you feel ashamed of yourself and I will fucking annihilate them,” she said, her breath huffing out when he pulled her onto his lap, squeezing the life out of her. She sank right into it, inhaling his beautiful scent.

Izzy felt a fierce pride well up in her, for her son's courage and for the protectiveness of his mate. The thought was startling. She couldn't help but gape at them, at the way David was wrapped around her, a peaceful, happy look on his face. She felt the sting of tears when she saw a single tear roll down his face at Dots acceptance of him, of a part of himself that they had all struggled with over the centuries, he may not have had as long as her and Alec to grow to hate that part of himself, but each scared glance, each snide comment or outright accusation could still cut him to the core. A careless word or hateful action could cut deeper than a thousand blades.

“Guys, I'm all for acceptance,” Simon said, breaking into the moments the shadowhunters were having with David and Alec, smiling as he remembered the first time he had seen his wife's fiery eyes, it had been in a much more private setting, he remembered with a grin before shaking the memory off. “But we have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment,” he said, not liking being the party pooper one bit.

“Er… yes… where were we?” Magnus asked as he tore his eyes from his mates, smiling when he saw from the corner of his eye that Alec hadn't covered them with a glamour again. He would stare into them all day if his mate would let him! “Oh, yes, we don't know exactly but we think Jia had something to do with it,” he said as he gazed around at them all.

“Jia, your friend? The consul of the clave?” Alec asked.

“Her clearance was the last to be used to access the files,” Dot said, tearing her gaze away from her mate to click up the log, two clearances being the only ones used to access the files. Jias had only been used over the last few months, the latest file being six months old. There where none more recent than that. “The other clearance used belonged to the old inquisitor, Malachi Dieudonne. Nobody knows why but Jia de-runed him six months ago. There was no trial and no sentencing. She pinned him down in the middle of Angel square and broke his angelic rune with no explanation. Maybe it had something to do do with this?” she said.

“So what do we do about it?” Alec asked, looking around for a suggestion from any of them.

“Dorothea and I will return to Alicante,” Magnus said “we will return to the Gard and confront her. If she had anything at all to do with this, if she has done this to the shadowhunters and to the downworlders, I will de-rune her myself” he growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warlock marks!!!! swoon!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the angst of the previous chapters I needed this more than I needed Jia's explanation, please enjoy the softness

“What do you mean, you and Dot will go to Alicante?” Alec asked, narrowing his eyes at his mate suspiciously. It sounded to him as though Magnus was planning on going without him. “Don't you mean WE will be going?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at his mate, daring him to try and leave him behind. 

“Absolutely not,” Magnus growled, panic starting to rise in him just at the thought of taking Alec to the Gard. “you think I want you anywhere near that nest of traitorous snakes? Not happening” he said, the finality clear in his tone.

“Oh, I'm sorry, you thought I was asking for permission?” Alec asked, his voice dangerously low. He turned on his mate and glared down at him. “I wasn't asking, Magnus. I will be going with you. What, you thought you were going without me? That I would sit here like a good little Omega, waiting for his Alpha to return” he asked, almost laughing at the thought.

“I have more respect for you than that, Alexander,” Magnus said, staring up into his beautiful eyes, eyes that had darkened to thunder clouds with the flare of Alec's temper. Fuck, they were magnificent! “But I will not just lead you into danger. You don't know what its like there, they sit waiting for you to make a wrong move before burying a blade in your back and they do it with a smile on their faces” he muttered, shuddering at the thought of Alec being exposed to his fellow shadowhunters. 

The ones who resided in Idris might put a face of respectability on for the rest of the world but it took only one miss step for that mask to slip. At least the shadowhunters in the institutes where upfront and honest about who they were. They would come at you head on and give you a fighting chance but the politicians and bureaucrats? Their words were sharper than any weapon and they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty when it came to trying to take a position from someone higher up in the food chain. It didn't get much higher than Magnus’ position, he was second only to Jia and on par with Ragnor who had accepted the position of Inquisitor.

“You are not endearing me to your clave, Magnus,” Alec said with a scowl. “Think about what you have just said, you say you don't want me exposed to danger? How do you think it is any different for me? Do you think that I like the thought of you going in there alone any more than you like the idea of me being there? We are a team Magnus and believe me, I can take care of myself,” he said, clicking his fingers and producing a burning ball of fire, letting the flames lick up his arm for emphasis. ”and if you think David would let Dot just wander off without him, you are sorely mistaken” he said, glancing over at his nephew. There was no way he would let his mate go without him.

“It isn't even a discussion, I took it as a given that I would be escorting my lady on her trip,” David said, not even bothering to argue the point. She wasn't leaving him there and that was all there was too it. He stared up at his mate when a growl burst from her mouth at his words. “Don't even think about trying to leave me behind!” he said, cutting her off when she started to speak. He didn't need to hear the words, he could see the protest in her eyes.

“There, now that that is settled, we can move forward with a plan,” Alec said, smothering the smug grin threatening to spread across his face when his mate and Dot shared a beleaguered look before nodding their heads resignedly. “Good Alpha, we are making progress,” he said, leaning down and giving his mate a quick kiss, a kiss that Magnus tried to chase with a rueful grin on his face.

“By the angel, you will be the death of me, Alexander” Magnus said, when he saw a flash of silver brighten his mates eyes, pulling Alec back down for another kiss, lingering a little longer than was necessarily polite for company as he let his fingers comb through the hair on the back of his head. He marvelled at the sensations the kiss spread through him, small shocks spreading through his body, shooting from his lips to the ends of his fingers and toes and…

“Ahem” Izzy cleared her through, she was beaming at the sight of her brother, finally having found his mate. They were so adorable together but they were also getting carried away and that was a visual that she didn't need! She had seen him get carried away enough when they were younger. She felt bad, it had been a LONG time since he had gotten any but they didn't need to put a show on! “How are you going to explain the presence of two warlocks in Alicante?” she asked when her brother unglued his lips from Magnus’. She couldn't help the grin that split her face at the way her brother's cheeks turned pink and Magnus’ lovely golden complexion darkened when he blushed, they were adorable! She barely managed to stop a squeal escaping her at the sight of them.

“Diplomatic envoy,” Alec said “Jia has plagued me and the other downworld leaders for years for a meeting. I think it's about time I grant her wish, although I don't think this is exactly the meeting she was hoping for!” he muttered, his eyes darkening again at the thought of the consul for the clave. He would give her the benefit of the doubt for his mate because she was his friend but if her explanation wasn't to his liking then he would not hold back!

“Let's go then,” Magnus said, getting up and setting Alec down on his feet before pulling his stele out, seeing Dot do the same with a tired, resigned look on her face. “Can you create a portal?” he asked his mate as he yanked his hoodie and shirt up.

“What are you doing?” Alec asked with a frown when he saw his mate pulling his top up, demons below! There where those muscles again! He shook the thought off, trying to reign in the shiver that ran down his spine at the thought of what it would feel like to explore those muscles with his fingers, or his tongue!

“Activating my stamina rune,” Magnus said with a weary sigh.

“Wait,” Alec said, reaching out and stopping his mates hand from activating the rune, gazing at the bone-deep tired look on Magnus’ face, he looked as tired as he himself felt. He visibly shuddered when his fingers brushed over his mate's ribcage, smiling inwardly at the goosebumps that rose up on Magnus’ skin. He didn't miss the sharp intake of breath from his Alpha. “When was the last time you got any sleep? Either of you?” he asked glancing at the tired look on Dots face, thinking about the fact that he had barely gotten any himself over the last eight or was it nine days? He had finally sunk into an exhausted, relieved sleep when he had received the fire message from his mate a few hours ago, only to be rudely awoken by Dot hammering on his door barely an hour later.

“I think I got about an hour before,” Magnus said, when he had his breathing under control, the skin on his side still tingling from Alec's light touch. How was he able to elicit such a reaction from his body with an innocent, almost none existant brush of his fingertips. He groaned at the thought that he could actually count on one hand the number of hours of sleep he had had since he had met Alexander. He was exhausted, hence the stamina rune. He silently wondered how many times a person could activate it before going mad from sleep deprivation.

“I think about two days ago?” Dot said with a frown, trying to work out when she had last gotten a decent nights sleep, with Magnus… unavailable for those few days, running the institute and the mission he had sent her on, she hadn't had much more than Magnus. She smiled when David wrapped his arms around her before looking up at him with a confused expression when he took her stele from her.

“You need to sleep,” Alec said, cupping Magnus’ face, wishing the thumb he swept across his Alphas cheekbone could wipe the weary look from his face. “You need to be prepared, not bulldoze in there without all your faculties because you are so tired, she will still be there later. Believe me, I want answers as much as you do, but you have to take care of yourself, sweetheart” he said, cutting him off when he started to protest.

“You all do,” Izzy said, staring pointedly at her brother, her tone brooking no argument. She took her coat off and moved over to the kitchen and snatched an apron up when they all nodded, her maternal instincts pushing her to feed them all before they went and got some sleep, they were probably all starving too! Maybe a nice omelette and some bacon and sausage and some toast would do, she thought.

“Would you like some help?” Dot asked tentatively as she approached the kitchen, wanting to fix the bad impressions of herself she had already given Izzy. she shuddered at the thought that she had already almost come to blows with the woman twice, by the Angel! Maybe she wouldn't be able to fix it. She liked Izzy, she was feisty and went for what she wanted, taking no shit along the way, kind of like herself.

“NO, no, we aren't hungry,” Magnus said quickly, his mate wholeheartedly agreeing with an emphatic nod of his head. “I mean, thank you but we ate earlier,” Magnus said, squeezing Alec's hand and silently praying that he wouldn't give the lie away. He had only just settled things with him and couldn't bear the thought of losing his mate to Dots horrendous cooking.

“Yes, we had dinner already! Before we came back from London” Alec said. He didn't know what Dots cooking was like but his sister could set fire to thin air, and the thought of inflicting her food on his mate turned his stomach.

“Well, I'm starving!” David said, rubbing his hands together at the thought of his moms cooking and grinning when Dots face lit up as she grabbed the second apron hanging on the hook next to the refrigerator. He shrugged his shoulders at the look on Magnus’ face, frowning when he mouthed for him to save himself with wide eyes.

Alec had to cover his mouth and bite down on the inside of his cheek when he saw Magnus eyeballing the couch almost as if he were measuring himself against it to see if he would fit. He reached down and grabbed his mates hand, letting the laugh escape him as he pulled him towards the hallway that led to his room. He was so adorable, trying to be a gentleman but there was no way he was letting his Alpha sleep on the couch!

“Please don't let her burn my apartment down?” Alec asked Simon quietly on his way past, waking the vampire who had been drifting off. “Grow up Simon” he admonished when he saw his brother-in-law wiggling his eyebrows and holding his hand up for a high five when he saw the direction he was towing Magnus in, shaking his head at the man.

“Oh come on bro, don't leave me hanging,” Simon said with a huge grin. It was about time Alec got some. He laughed at the wide-eyed look of surprise on Magnus’ face. The guy looked as though all of his Hannukah's had come at once, the thought made him chuckle. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do” he shouted after them, alerting everyone else to the fact that they where trying to sneak off unnoticed.

“Dorothea, text the next one on your list, tell them to take charge of the institute while we are gone” Magnus called over his shoulder, not turning to see the looks on all of their faces as he followed his mate from the room. "Alexander, you don't have to… the couch would be... adequate. I don't want you to be... uncomfortable…” he trailed off as Alec pulled him into his room and closed the door behind them.

“Who wants adequate when you can have memory foam?” Alec asked with a laugh at the smile Magnus tried to hide. “We are both full grown adults and mates, Alpha. I am sure we can share a bed, it's big enough. Besides this is a chance for me to decide to mate you or not, you could be bed hog or a snorer or spend the entire day farting in your sleep” he said as he walked over to the bed. He couldn't help laughing hard when he turned to see the look on his mates face, it was a mixture of indignation, desire and worry, it was adorable! “I’m kidding” he chuckled.

“Think your funny, do you?” Magnus growled, pouncing on his mate and knocking him back onto the bed, pinning his arms above his head when he landed on top of his Omega. He panicked when he saw the look of surprise on Alec's face, his eyes flashing silver. “Shit, I'm sorry… Alexander, I didn't mean…” he mumbled, cursing himself for acting without thinking.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Alec said, breathing heavily as he rolled them over to reverse their positions. “But I like to be on top” he whispered in Magnus’ ear as he pinned his Alphas hands above his head, straddling his hips. He smirked at the shallowness of Magnus’ breathing before pressing a soft kiss to Magnus’ neck right over his scent glands. His stomach soured the moment slightly when it announced its displeasure at how empty it was. “I'm starving” he groaned into Magnus’ neck.

“Me too” Magnus whispered, trying to get his stuttering breath under control. It was hard with his mate straddling him, his beautiful scent wrapping around him and sinking into his lungs with each shallow breath he tried to drag in. “maybe we could have just eaten the bits Izzy cooked, I wouldn't let you near Dots cooking but Izzy's couldn't have been any worse” he said, looking up at Alec when he sat up and released his arms. He couldn't stop his hands wandering up his mates thighs to rest on his hips, watching to make sure if the touch was okay with him.

“Trust me, I would have been wheeling you out in a body bag” Alec muttered, trying to continue the conversation through the feeling of Magnus’ thumbs brushing over his hip bones. Fuck that felt nice. He resisted the urge to move his hips, he could feel the evidence of how much his Alpha was enjoying having him sit there on his hips but his stomach would not give up, rumbling loudly. 

The whine that escaped him as he climbed off Magnus and settled next to him would have been embarrassing if he hadn't heard the growl rumbling through his Alphas chest at the loss of contact. It was probably for the best, he didn't know if he would be able to stop himself from mating Magnus if things went any further and he wasn't completely sure Magnus would be able to hold back either. As much as he wanted to be mated to him he wouldn't put his Alpha in danger of being de-runed before they had a chance to do anything about that stupid law. So he reigned himself in and clicked his fingers, producing a stack of sausage and egg muffins and handed a couple to his mate.

“Thank the Angel,” Magnus said when his mate handed him the food. He ate silently, trying to control the images that played on a loop through his mind. His mate spinning his bo-staff, lying beneath him on the training room floor, sinking into his body. The sounds of his mate panting away and uttering a string of curses were ringing in his ears. Raziel! Are you trying to test me? He silently asked the Angel as he savagely stuffed the last of his food in his mouth. 

Magnus didn't quite know what to do with himself when he had finished his food. He had never been shy in the bedroom but he had never exactly gotten into bed with anyone strictly to sleep. It was new territory for him and he couldn't help but feel nervous, it wasn't as though he had ever slept with anyone he had actually cared about. The men and women had come and gone but he had never had what anyone would call an actual relationship before. His frustration almost pushed a growl from him, should he keep his clothes on? Was Alexander expecting him to sleep on top of the covers? Maybe he should offer to sleep on the floor? Fuck! What was he supposed to do?

Alec watched his Alpha, watched his internal struggle roll across his face with wide eyes, was he… nervous? His heart stuttered in his chest when he saw Magnus twisting his hands, his eyes darting around to look at anything but him. He had never seen anything more endearing in his life, his big strong Alpha shadowhunter was nervous! He decided to lead by example, taking pity on his mate.

“I hope you don't mind if I sleep in my boxers?” Alec asked, standing and shuffling out of his sweats and kicking them into the corner, he usually slept naked but he would make an exception for his nervous Alpha. He hid his grin by climbing under the covers when he saw Magnus sigh with relief before he quickly stood and removed his clothes, leaving him standing in just his boxers. Alec took a moment just to appreciate his body, demons below he was beautiful! He ogled every line and curve and muscle, desperately trying not to laugh when he just stood there, twisting his hands again. He pulled the covers back and patted the bed.

Magnus climbed gratefully into the bed, avoiding looking his Omega in the eye. God, what must he think? he wondered. He felt like a nervous fifteen-year-old, unsure of himself, not wanting to make Alec uncomfortable. He sighed as he sank into the mattress, how did Alec reduce him to a stuttering mess? he was an ALPHA for angel's sake! He rolled onto his side to face Alec when he closed the blackout curtains with a wave of his hand, feeling braver in the dark.

Alec felt it the moment Magnus’ gaze landed on him. He rolled over onto his side to face him in the darkened room. He had privately thought Magnus’ nervousness was cute and maybe a little funny but he would be lying if he said the Alphas presence didn't affect him. He could feel every inch of him, lying less than a foot away, even when they weren't touching. He could feel the tickle of his breath now and then, reaching out to run across his face. It was as if a thousand tiny threads connected them from head to toe, his awareness of it sparking to life the second he had closed the curtains. The feeling of it took his breath away.

“What does the change mean?” Magnus asked when he saw the dim, steel grey glow of his mates eyes, the only light in the darkness. “Before, when you were angry, your eyes were dark grey but now they are more like the colour of steel. What does it mean?” he asked, raising a shaking hand to skim over his mates face, brushing a finger over his eyebrow and curling around under his eye, almost groaning at the spark that ran up his fingers and over his skin. He stared when his mate's eyes flashed brighter, shining silver in the darkened room. He withdrew his hand, worried that he had hurt him. “You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable” he whispered when his mate stayed silent.

“The changes are connected to my emotions” Alec whispered after a moment, taking a deep breath. He didn't talk about it to anyone, always hiding them away. Nobody had ever asked him about them before, not outright. He had seen the curiosity in his past lover's eyes, other warlocks who had had marks of their own and knew the fear that came along with them, but nobody had ever asked. “When I am angry, they turn dark grey and when I am relaxed or happy they turn the lighter steel grey,” he said quietly.

“What does the silver mean?” Magnus asked, unable to stop himself from reaching out and brushing his hand across his mate's cheekbone again. The feeling of his Omega lying so close and yet too far away when he wasn't wrapped up in his arms was almost too much. His heart rate spiked when he felt the softness of Alec's skin beneath the pads of his fingers. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut when Alec rolled away, turning over with his back to him.

“They… it… means…” Alec trailed off, his turn to be embarrassed. It didn't matter that his back was to his Alpha, he could still feel the sparks of his presence brushing over the bare skin of his back, his breathing turning shallower by the second. It wasn't his body's only reaction. He also knew his eyes would be flashing wildly, flashing the brightest silver, the thought had him slamming them closed, hoping Magnus wouldn't see them.

“I'm sorry, Alexander, I shouldn't have brought it up,” Magnus said, wanting to reach out again. He locked his arm down, forcing his body not to react to the distress he could feel coming from his mate, pissed at himself for bringing up something that was obviously difficult for him to talk about. “I didn't mean to make…”

“They flash silver when I'm turned on,” Alec said quickly, wanting to get it out. He ducked his head under his arm as he felt his face burning, wanting to hide from his Alpha. That's what you get for laughing at your mate he thought to himself. “When I am aroused they go haywire” he mumbled.

“Alexander, that's nothing to be embarrassed about,” Magnus said, his heart fluttering at the thought that the current running between their bodies was affecting Alec just as much as it was him. It had his nervousness falling away, making him feel ridiculous, this was his mate! He reached out and wrapped his arm around Alec's stomach, pulling his mate in and closing the distance between them as he moulded himself to Alecs back. “Please don't be embarrassed by your body's natural reaction, do you not feel how you affect me? Your presence is intoxicating” he whispered in Alec's ear.

A shiver ran down Alecs back when he felt Magnus’ breath float over the skin of his neck and ear. It made every hair on his body stand on end. He was aware of every inch of his mate's body that was pressed against him. Every inch! Fuck! His eyes widened when he felt Magnus’cock, practically buried in his ass. Holy mother of demons he was big! It took everything he had not to grind his ass against it, his breath huffing out of his shaking body, he couldn't control the quiet moan that escaped him.`

The sound Alec made shot straight to Magnus’ cock, making it twitch against Alec's ass. He took deep breaths, trying to get a grip on the reaction his body was having to his mate's body, the sounds he made, the scent that emanated from him. 

“Can I see them?” Magnus asked when he had gotten a grip on himself, hoping he wasn't being rude, that he wasn't asking too much of his Omega. He propped his head upon his hand to look down into Alec's eyes when he turned to lye on his back. “So beautiful! Please never hide them from me, Alexander, I couldn't bear the thought of you hiding any part of yourself from me out of embarrassment or shame. They are a part of you and just as unique and beautiful as the rest of you. I could look at them for the rest of my life and it would never be enough” he whispered when he saw the beautiful silver glow. He leant down and pressed his lips to his mate's eyelids, his cheeks, his nose, wishing he could kiss every inch of him.

Alec snuggled into Magnus’ chest, burying his nose in the crook of his neck as he inhaled his scent, his nose automatically finding the scent glands there. He fought the tears that wanted to fall at his mate's words. He had spent so long fighting that part of himself, hiding it away, hating the reaction they caused in other people. And here was Magnus, the person who would come to be the most important person in his life, accepting it without batting an eyelid, calling them beautiful, it was more than he had ever hoped for when he found his Alpha. All he had ever wished was that his mate wouldn't be repulsed when they emerged. He thanked his Alphas angel for sending Magnus to him.

“How about we get some sleep, hmm?” Magnus asked when his mate stopped shaking. It didn't hurt this time when Alec turned in the cage of his arms as he realised he was just getting comfortable. He smiled when his mate pulled his forearm up and across his chest and shoulder. “Sweet dreams, my darling” he whispered, pressing a kiss behind Alec's ear.

Alec didn't say anything, too tired to utter a word. He pressed a quick kiss to the inside of Magnus’ wrist before drifting off with a smile on his face at the word darling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> saaaaaft
> 
> I think a lifetime of Izzy's cooking has prepared David for Dot's. I wonder if he realises he is basically mated to his mum lol


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling extra af when I wrote this ;-)

Magnus already had a huge grin splitting his face before his eyes were fully open. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that clung to him. Alexander! The size of his grin, however, was nothing compared to the size of his erection! Fuck, it felt good to have his Omega in his arms, but it also had his body reacting before he was even aware of the fact. His mate would probably be horrified if he were awake to feel it. He tried to wriggle back slightly before a growl erupted from his mate. His breath huffed out in a surprised chuckle when Alec hooked a leg backwards over his thigh and dragged him back in.

“Want me to do something about that, Alpha?” Alec asked without opening his eyes, grinning when his mate laughed, the sound was almost one of relief. The effect of the shake of his Alphas body as he laughed was certainly having an interesting effect on where his cock was placed. He couldn't have stopped a low moan escaping him if he wanted to at the vibration running up through his ass. “We’re all sweaty, maybe I could do something about it in the shower?” he said a little breathlessly as he clicked his fingers, lighting the lamp, and rolled over to look up at his mate, wiggling his eyebrows when Magnus laughed harder. 

“You have no idea how good that sounds” Magnus whispered as he stroked his fingers gently over Alec's ribcage, how was it possible for Alec to look so good with bed hair and sleep in his eyes? “But if I get in that shower with you, I won't be able to stop myself from mating you,” he whispered against Alec's ear. He laughed when he saw his mates pout from the corner of his eye.

“Well then, what am I supposed to do with this?” Alec asked, flinging the covers back to show his Alpha that he wasn't the only one affected by the presence of his mate. He turned in the cage of Magnus’ arms and batted his eyes at him, hooking his leg over his shadowhunters hip to pull him closer and moulding himself to the front of his Alphas body. “Your cock pressed against my ass the entire time we were asleep has left me so hard it's almost painful” he muttered into Magnus’ chest.

“Well, what kind of Alpha leaves his Omega in pain?” Magnus whispered into Alec's ear as he skimmed his fingertips down his side and over his hip, unable to keep his hands off his gorgeous body. The feeling of his mate's hard cock pressed against his own was stealing his self-control. “I wouldn't want you to suffer,” he breathed, taking Alec's earlobe into his mouth and sucking on it.

“Such a considerate Alpha, and it's not like we have to go all the way. I'm sure we can control ourselves” Alec murmured, his breath hitching in his chest when Magnus’ hand continued its trail over his ass and down the back of his thigh. His hips lurched forward when he felt his mates hand curl over his knee and brush up the inside of his thigh, brushing over his cock where it tented his boxers. He trailed kisses up Magnus’ chest, grazing his teeth across the skin of his shoulder. “Fuuuck” he breathed into his Alphas neck when Magnus reached the waistband of his boxers, dipping his fingers under the constricting material.

“Yes... control” Magnus muttered as he rolled his mate onto his back and pulled his boxers up and over his cock, laughing when he eagerly kicked them off. He grinned into it when Alec caught his lips. It was no gentle peck it was hot and messy and he couldn't help groaning into his Omegas mouth when Alec's tongue invaded his mouth. The moan that came from Alec when he took his cock in hand stole his breath! He broke from the kiss, fighting for air to stare into Alec's eyes as he started to jerk him off.

“Fuck, Magnus!” Alec gasped out. His breathing stuttered out when he saw the look in Magnus’ eyes, a look of pure lust, his irises had all but disappeared. He couldn't stop the small, occasional jerk of his hips, especially when his Alpha brushed his thumb over the slit of his cock head. He wanted to slam his eyes shut but he couldn't look away from Magnus’ eyes. “Fuuuuuk!” he moaned, drawing the word out over several syllables.

Magnus smeared the drops of pre-cum his mate was leaking over the head of his cock, using it for lubrication to slide his hand up and down the shaft of Alec's cock. His own breathing shallowed as he stared into his mate's eyes, drinking in the bright silver irises, marvelling at how brightly they shone. “You are so fucking beautiful when you moan like that, Alexander” he whispered against his mates lips before pushing into his mouth, wishing it wasn't the only part of his body he was sinking into his mate.

“You have that effect on me, Alpha” Alec mumbled between kisses, smirking at the way Magnus pupils dilated further when he called him his Alpha. “MAGNUS… FUCK” he stuttered out when his mate's rhythm changed. He panted when Magnus concentrated just on the head of his cock, twisting his wrist slightly with each short jerk, the movement pulling his foreskin down with each jerk. “I'm… so fucking… close” he muttered, it was too much! He threw his head back, unable to contain his scream when his balls tightened before he exploded in his mates hand, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as Magnus continued to jerk the end of his cock, prolonging his orgasm.

The scream of his mate almost had Magnus coming in his pants, it was the most perfect sound he had ever heard, he could listen to it for the rest of his life. He grinned when he thought about the fact that he would be able too. He stared into Alec's eyes when they sprang open to look at him, a sly grin spreading over his face when he saw them widen as he raised his hand and sucked his fingers into his mouth, licking them clean.

“You don't know how much I needed that, Alpha” Alec whispered shakily, watching his mate lick the come from his fingers, fuck! He pushed Magnus onto his back and crawled over him, running his hand down Magnus’ stomach “I see I'm not the only one in need” he whispered before pulling his mate's boxers down, grinning when Magnus eagerly lifted his hips, making the job easier. His eyes widened slightly when Magnus’ cock sprang free, he had felt how big it was when it was pressed against his ass but seeing it was a whole other matter.

Magnus thought he had died and gone to heaven when Alec took his hand and pulled it up to rest in his hair before taking his cock into his mouth. “Raziel! I thought that mouth was pretty when it was calling my name” he muttered when Alec sank down on his dick, his plump lips creating the perfect suction when he rose his head, never breaking eye contact before setting into a rhythm. He moaned when the head of his cock hit the back of his mate's throat before he took it even deeper. His fingers curled in Alec's hair when his cock sank right into his mate's throat. “Fuck, don't you have a gag reflex?” he stuttered out through the pleasure shooting through him.

“Nope,” Alec said proudly when he released Magnus’ cock to speak, giving the entire shaft a few long strokes. “You don't understand how much I need you to fuck me right now” he muttered before taking his Alphas cock back into his mouth, the sounds of his mate's moans and panting breaths had him hard again. He bobbed up and down a few more timed before lifting off his dick. He pulled Magnus’ foreskin down and swirled his tongue around the end, flicking it over the head before dipping his tongue into the slit, tasting the pre-come steadily leaking from it.

“Fuck, if your ass is anything like your mouth then I think I need it too” Magnus muttered as his hips bucked forward. He would have collapsed if he hadn't already been lying down, that fucking mouth! He pulled Alec up, grinning when his mate practically climbed him, to slam his lips to Alecs, unable to help himself. He moaned into his mate's mouth when Alec straddled his hips, his cock practically buried in his ass already.

“We can control our selves, we don't have to mate, right?” Alec whispered against Magnus’ lips as he rocked his hips back and forth, grinding his ass down on his mate's cock with a drawn out moan. “Shit, that feels so good” he moaned, dropping his head into the crook of his Alphas neck to inhale his scent.

“Yeah… we don't have to… mate… fuck, Alexander!” Magnus muttered, his heart rate skyrocketing at the sensations flooding his body. He didn't even try to stop his hands from gripping Alec's hips, pushing him down further as his own hips reflexively jerked upwards. By the Angel! This man would be the death of him. His self-control snapped when he heard the panting moan that ripped from his mate. “I need to be inside you, now” he growled.

“Oh, thank Lilith” Alec muttered, clicking his fingers and producing a bottle of lube. He didn't even wait for his mate, spreading it over his fingers and reaching around to prepare himself. His breath hitched when he sank a finger into his ass, opening himself up for his Alpha as quickly as he could. He needed his mates cock badly.

“So fucking hot,” Magnus said as he watched the expression on his mates face flit between pleasure and pain. He grinned when Alec practically threw the bottle of lube at him, pouring some onto his palm and giving his cock a few jerks. He wanted to roll them over and bury himself in his mate but he remembered his Omega saying he liked to be on top so he held himself back with a restraint he didn't know he possessed. He stared up at Alec's gorgeous body, grinning smugly that Alec was his Omega, his grin turning into a laugh when his mate knocked his hand away from his cock and shuffled forward.

“Show me what you've got, Alpha” Alec whispered when he positioned his mate's cock against his asshole, taking a deep breath as he started to push down on it. “Fuuuuck” he stuttered out with a wince, almost lifting his hips at the intrusion. It took his breath away. “Magnus, distract me” he muttered.

“Alexander, if you're not ready we can wait,” Magnus said quickly when he saw the look on his mates face, trying desperately to ignore the feeling of his mates hole squeezing the life out of the end of his dick. He pushed it down for a moment, concern for his mate overriding his need. “We don't have to do anything…”

“I'm okay, it's just been a while,” Alec said, grabbing Magnus’ hand and guiding it to his cock. He knew he would be okay in a moment. He moaned when Magnus started to jerk him off before starting to sink down again, his breath hissing out when he took Magnus’ entire length into his body.

Magnus was surprised by the surge of jealousy that shot through him at Alec's words. He wasn't stupid enough to delude himself into thinking his mate had saved himself in the 300 years he had been alive but he had to fight his instincts to sink his teeth into his mates scent glands, wanting to stake a claim on his Omega when Alec slumped down over his chest, when he sank all the way down onto his cock. The feeling left as quickly as it had come when he felt alecs breath stutter out, brushing over the skin of his shoulder.

The scent of his Alpha almost overwhelmed Alec when he dropped down onto Magnus’ chest. His nose was almost level with his scent glands and it was all he could do not to bury his teeth in them. He couldn't stop his tongue from darting out and licking up his mate's neck, moaning when Magnus’ hips twitched slightly at the sensation. He had to force himself to sit up, pulling his face away from his Alphas neck before he did something he wouldn't be able to take back.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked shakily when Alec pushed himself back up. The silver of his eyes made his cock twitch where it was buried in his mate's ass, making Alec moan. His breath huffed out when Alec simply nodded at him with a grin before rising up on his knees, pulling up until his cock almost fell from him before slamming back down with a scream. “FUCK, Alexander!” he screamed when Alec's ring squeezed every inch of his cock on his way down.

“Magnus!” Alec moaned, his Alphas cock scraping along his prostate as he fell turning the moan into a scream “oh, fuck… fuck… Magnus” he babbled as the pleasure of it shot through him. He started to bounce, wanting to feel it again and again. He could barely breathe, his hips jerking every time his mate's cock brushed along the sensitive nerves there. He leant forward and used Magnus’ shoulders for leverage to bounce up and down, any discomfort from a moment before disappearing completely.

Magnus couldn't even speak, his mate was fucking perfection. He couldn't help but snap his hips up on every one of Alec's downward thrusts, his hands gripping his Omegas hips hard. He wrapped a hand around the back of Alec's neck and pulled him all the way down, slamming his lips to his mates to catch his moans, wanting every part of his mate he could get. He sucked Alec's bottom lip into his mouth when he heard a ragged scream rip from his Omegas mouth, resisting the urge to bite into it with everything he had.

“Shit… Magnus, I think I'm ...gonna come again” Alec stuttered out when the slight change of position had his mates cock scraping against his prostate in a constant motion that was almost too much. His entire body was twitching from the shocks of pleasure pulsing throughout him at each movement.

“Me too” Magnus moaned out, the constant pressure on the end of his dick as his mate tightened around it had his eyes rolling in his head. “You're so fucking tight” he muttered, trying to draw breath into his aching lungs. His heart was thundering in his chest when Alec's head dropped to his neck, exposing his own neck in the process which only made him thrust up harder. Fuck he wanted to mate him so badly! The thought was pushing him closer to the edge. “ALEXANDER” he screamed as he felt his balls tighten.

“FUCK… FUUUCK, MAGNUS” Alec screamed when Magnus exploded inside him, pushing him over the edge himself. He almost blacked out from the pleasure when his balls tightened and he came all over his mate's chest and stomach, his breath catching in his throat as he continued to scream his Alphas name into his neck.

The way Alec's rim squeezed his cock was almost too much for Magnus, his mates hole milking every last drop from him. He couldn't stop his teeth from grazing the skin of his mate's neck, almost sinking into the skin. It took a monumental effort not to bite down when his mate's drawn-out whine reached his ears, he knew his Omega wanted it as much as he did but they couldn't so he sucked instead, marking his mate the only way he could, his own moan stuttering out when Alec did the same to him.

Alec couldn't help sucking the hicky into his mates scent glands. He had never wanted anything more than to sink his teeth in and stake his claim but the desire to protect him, from the clave and their stupid law overrode his need. So he sucked hard, marking Magnus as his own in the safest way possible. Even without the second part of the mating, it would be dangerous to give his mate a mating mark so he settled for the hicky. He released his mate's neck when he was sure he had sucked hard enough to leave his mark, trying to get his breath back by inhaling Magnus’ scent.

Magnus released his mates hips to wrap his arms around him, breathing hard as he basked in his mate's scent. Raziel he was amazing! He thought to himself. He grinned when Alec lifted his head and brushed a soft kiss against his lips before resting his sweaty forehead against his own. “Are you okay, sweetheart? I didn't hurt you did I?” he whispered.

“Are you kidding? That was amazing” Alec said, stealing another kiss from his Alphas lips, before skimming his nose up the length of Magnus’ nose and placing his lips to his forehead. “It was exactly what I needed. Was it… okay for… you?” he asked a little nervously, hoping Magnus had enjoyed it as much as he had.

“Okay?” Magnus asked incredulously. He rolled them over to land on top of Alec, kissing his mate's nose when he winced slightly at the movement that had his cock tugging at his rim. “It was so much more than okay, it was amazing. I thought our first time might have been a little awkward as first times usually are but… it was perfect. You were made for me, my beautiful Omega” he said as he stared down into his mate's beautiful steel grey eyes. He noticed when they darkened slightly, raising an eyebrow in silent question when a small whine escaped his mate.

“I'm sorry, I know it's not fair of me, I just…” Alec whispered, pissed at himself for spoiling the moment with his jealousy. He wasn't usually a jealous man but he didn't like the thought of other first times his mate had had with other people. “I know its petty, I just don't… I… I just got a little jealous when you mentioned other first times” he mumbled, staring at his mate's shoulder.

“So did I, when I thought of you being with others” Magnus chuckled as he nuzzled into his mate's neck, kissing the mark he had left which was purpling nicely. He felt a mixture of pride and a small amount of shame at the thought, the Alpha in him pushing him in both directions. His need to protect him from any harm warring with the need to proclaim Alexander as his and his alone.

“We really were made for each other, Alpha” Alec whispered, smirking at the dark purple mark he had left on his mate's neck, the mark that warned everyone else not to touch what was his. He licked at the mark, smirking against his mate's skin when he heard the sound of the gasp his Alpha let out. Before a moan escaped his own lips when he felt Magnus’ cock twitch where it was still buried in his ass. He wrapped his legs around Magnus’ back, locking his feet to pull him closer when Magnus trailed kisses up his neck, nipping at his jaw, until a loud knock sounded at the door, making him huff in irritation.

“Fuck! Whoever that is, they had best have a good reason for knocking” Magnus growled out, the sound rumbling up from somewhere in the vicinity of his balls. He huffed out a sigh when Alec sagged back into the mattress with a whine, resting his forehead against Alecs as they both tried to get their breathing under control. “Talk about shitty timing” he muttered, groaning when another knock came.

“WHAT?” Alec shouted at the door, wanting to throttle whoever was on the other side of it, things were just starting to get interesting, again! His eyes narrowed when he heard Simon shouting about how everyone else was awake. “We’ll be out in a minute” he shouted, not bothering to hide his irritation, shaking his head and laughing when Magnus started to chuckle.

“Time to put those silver eyes away, my darling” Magnus muttered, grinning at the bright silver glow of his mates eyes. It was certainly going to be interesting trying to make them glow! “Now, about that shower, you were offering?” he whispered, making Alec snort with laughter.

They showered quickly, realising it was almost seven pm. They had been asleep for twelve hours! Magnus watched with amusement as his mate pulled his hoodie on when he emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Fuck, he liked the look of Alec wearing his hoodie, it was a complete contrast with some of the flamboyant outfits he had seen his mate wearing but the sight of the grey hoodie with his mates steel grey eyes was doing unmentionable things to him. He shook the thought off before they needed to take another shower!

He searched the room for his clothes before Alec handed him a pair of jeans, a tight-fitting white t-shirt and a black leather jacket from his closet. He stared at the clothes in his hands, not his usual style, well the leather jacket was but the blue denim jeans and white t-shirt weren't really his thing, he preferred black. He shrugged and put them on without comment when he saw the look on his mates face, wondering where his own clothes had disappeared to.

Alec made the bed while his mate got dressed, his eyes lingering for a moment on the cacophony of runes covering his body. He was going to have fun exploring every single one of them, he thought as he absent-mindedly shoved his mates clothes under the pillows, not even aware of what he was doing. “Ready to face them?” he asked with a grin when Magnus was fully dressed, laughing at the way his mate paused in the process of pulling one of his boots on. He adjusted the size of the clothes Magnus had on with a wave of his hand before grabbing his mates hand and pulling him back to the bed.

“Before we go out there, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Alec said when his mate looked at him questioningly. “How much do you know about mating a warlock?” he asked, seeing Magnus’ expression turn to one of confusion.

“Nothing really, it's not something we discuss. I don't know anyone who has mated a warlock before” Magnus said with a scratch of his head. “Why? Is it different than how shadowhunters mate?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Yes actually, it is,” Alec said nervously. He had been hoping Magnus would know. He took a deep breath, shutting his face down, not wanting his expression to affect his mates decision. “Warlocks are immortal. When we mate, we exchange a sliver of our souls, binding ourselves to each other. For two warlocks or a warlock and a vampire or Seelie, it doesn't make much of a difference as we are both immortal anyway but if we were to mate a werewolf or a shadowhunter, they become immortal through that sliver of soul. It is how we keep our mate with us instead of having to watch them grow old and die” he said, his stomach twisting at the thought of Magnus leaving him through no choice of his own. That was the reason for the second part of the bond, it would be too cruel for an immortal to have only those handful of years with their mate.

“If we were to complete both parts of the mating bond, you would be immortal Magnus,” Alec said when he saw the confused expression on his face. “We would still be mates if we didn't complete the exchange but it would only be half a bond,” he said. Watching the realisation sink in. the second part of the bond was just as important as the mating bite itself to a warlock but he would never force or demand that of his mate, forever was a long time and not everyone would choose that, Magnus had to choose for himself.

“What do you mean by a sliver of our souls? What happens exactly?” Magnus asked, just two of the hundred questions that ran through his mind.

“We would mate in the usual way, then after the mate marks are complete, I would extract a sliver of my soul and place it inside your soul. I would then extract a sliver of your soul and place it in mine” Alec said, trying to keep from his voice the hope he was clinging desperately to. “Our lives would be tied together, as long as I live, so would you. It doesn't make you invincible, you could still be killed as could I but barring some horrific injury you would never age, never die as an old man. You would stop ageing and stay the same as you are now like I did when I turned twenty-five” he said. “You don't have to decide now Magnus, it is a big decision and one that you must make for yourself so take your time, really think about it because once it is done it cant be undone, it is permanent,” he said.

“So if I said no, I would die one day and you would be left on your own, to live an eternity without me?” Magnus asked, his heart sinking through the floor at the thought of Alec having to try and live without him. He knew, if their positions were reversed, if he were the warlock and Alec were the shadowhunter, there was no way he would be able to live after Alec left him. He stared at his mate when he simply nodded his head. 

His Omega, instead of pressuring him out of a selfish need to keep his mate around, was giving him the choice. He could accept the second part of the bond and get to stay with this beautiful man forever, the Omega that he was already finding it impossible and if he were honest with himself, downright miserable, to live without. Or he could turn him down and leave him one day, forcing him into an eternity of misery. It wasn't even a choice, fifty-sixty years if he was lucky or an eternity with the man he had fallen in love with the moment his eyes had landed on him.

“Where are you going?” Magnus asked when Alec stood up.

“This is a big decision, Magnus. You need to think about it” Alecs said, tugging his mates hand to lead him out of the room. “Take as long… oooft” he grunted when his mate yanked him down on top of him and rolled them over. He stared up into Magnus’ beautiful brown eyes, searching them when Magnus cleared his throat.

“Alexander Lightwood, I realise that when I so foolishly tried to reject you, I may have caused irreparable damage,” Magnus said as he stared down into his mate's beautiful eyes, watching as they flashed through a tumultuous range of emotions, never quite settling on one colour. He couldn't stop himself from cupping his Omegas beautiful face, smiling when Alec leaned into the touch. “I want to say, from the bottom of my heart that I am so, so sorry for ever putting you through an ounce of pain. No, I need to say this” Magnus cut him off when Alec started to protest. 

“You could have dumped my sorry ass in the gutter and moved on but you didn't. You fought for me, you saved me from myself when I didn't deserve it. I thought you had already offered me more than I had ever wished for by offering me a second chance at a future with you and now you are offering me the chance to stay with you, a chance for an eternity of love and friendship and family. I don't know what I did to deserve you, Alexander, but if you would let me, I would spend every minute of every day of that eternity trying to make up for my actions and prove myself to you, to earn the trust and faith you have in me. I fell in love with you the moment I met you and to be able to carry a piece of you inside of me for our eternity is more than I could ever dare to dream of. Alexander, I would be honoured if you would agree to be my mate, for now, and always” he said.

Alec let the tears roll down the sides of his face as he stared up at his mate. He pressed a kiss to the thumb Magnus brushed over his lips before pulling in a stuttering breath. “I could wish for nothing more than to spend my eternity with you, Magnus Bane. I waited so long for you to come along, that it wasn't even a choice to fight for you. You are mine and I am yours and I knew from the moment I met you that there would be no one else for me. I am hopelessly in love with you, my beautiful Alpha, with your selflessness and passion and the way you care for others. I love how protective you are of those you care for and how you fight for what is right, how you put so much of yourself into it. But most of all, I am wildly in love with your beautiful soul, and will cherish the piece of it I will carry inside me for the rest of our long lives” he whispered, reaching up and kissing the tears from the corner of his Alphas eyes. His heartbeat raced when his Alpha pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He let a giggle escape when Magnus smothered his face in kisses.

“I love you” Magnus whispered in Alec's ear before kissing the hicky he had marked his mate with.

“I love you too” Alec whispered back. “Now let's go and face the rabble before they send Simon back to break down the door,” he said, laughing when Magnus groaned into his neck. He smiled when his mate pulled him up off the bed and interlocked their fingers before squaring his shoulders and leading the way.

Magnus’ face was burning when he saw four pairs of eyes zero in on his and Alecs necks with knowing looks. He reached down through the feelings of peace and happiness and managed to drag a scowl up from the bottom of his boots for them and their ill-disguised looks of curiosity as they stared, obviously trying to see if they had mated. He almost shuddered at the thought that neither of them had exactly been Quiet. He shook his head at the thousand-watt grin spread over his mate's face, laughing when Alec chuckled. He threw his arm around his mate's shoulder, pulling him into his side and kissing his temple, the smile was beautiful. 

“Not a fucking word” Magnus growled at Dot and David when he saw them both open their mouths at the same time, identical looks of mischief on their faces.

“Yes, uncle Magnus, sir,” David said with a sly grin, pulling a chastised look of innocence on his face when Magnus spluttered. “We wouldn't dream of it,” he said, holding Dot up when she collapsed into a fit of giggles at his side, the rest of them laughing along.

“Why don't I conjure us up something to eat before we go? I Know a wonderful recipe for a stew that is to die for!” Alec said with a grin, kissing his spluttering mate on the cheek. He was so adorable!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> swoooooon!


	17. Chapter 17

Alec savoured the feel of his mates hand in his own when Magnus led him through his portal, reluctantly dropping his hand after one quick, reassuring squeeze, Dot and David doing the same as they followed before the portal closed behind them. They had agreed that once they reached the Gard, they would act as two shadowhunters escorting two warlocks on a diplomatic visit with the consul. 

None of them was too thrilled with the idea but David and Alec refused to put their mates in any situation that would cast suspicion on them, so they let go of each other and adopted an air of professional familiarity. Alec couldn't help sniffing his mate's hoodie, inhaling the scent that clung to it, grinning when he looked at his Alpha wearing his clothes, saturating them in his scent. They had added a scarf to cover the hicky he had left on his mate's neck.

“Gentlemen, this is Alexander Lightwood, the High Warlock of Brooklyn and David Lewis, his assistant,” Magnus said to the two shadowhunters guarding the entrance. “We are escorting them to see Jia Penhallow, she is expecting us,” he said, nodding at the two men as they stepped aside with a nod. They had sent a fire message ahead, instructing Jia to have the wards dropped so they could portal to the Gard rather than treck through the city. He had flat out refused to let his mate walk through Alicante with so many shadowhunters around, not trusting any of them not to start something that he would have to finish.

Magnus led them inside, making his way through the familiar corridors with nods or glares for the shadowhunters they passed, depending on whether they were friends or men and women that he had dealt with in the past. He reserved a special glare for Imogen Herondale as they rounded the last corner, leading to the corridor that housed Jia's office and almost walked into her.

“Imogen Herondale, I see you were released from the silent city,” Magnus said as evenly as he could. He had a special hatred for the woman, she was the worst kind of snake, presenting herself as a respectable figure when in reality she was a cold-hearted bitch with arsenic pumping through her veins. “Have you returned to duty?” he asked in as civilised tone as he could manage.

“You know Jia would never allow that, Magnus,” Imogen said with a glare, her hatred of the man who had removed her from power evident in her tone. “The clave had no evidence against me and yet I am permanently relieved of duty. It is a witch hunt if ever there was one” she muttered as she stared at the two warlocks with disdain.

“Try living through the seventeen hundreds, you don't know the meaning of the words witch hunt” Alec growled at the woman, not bothering to hide the look of hatred on his face, wondering why she was allowed to walk around freely after the things he had heard about her. 

“Your confession under the Mortal sword was all the evidence we needed,” Magnus said, almost snarling at the woman when he saw the way she was glaring at his mate. “You are lucky you weren't de-runed. The only reason you are here and not living with the mundanes is that we need someone to take care of the paperwork while more trustworthy shadowhunters fight the battles that you have started” he said.

“I started nothing, I simply defended myself against downworlders that came for me and my people,” Imogen said, her eyes zeroing in on Alec's hand when he grabbed Magnus’ arm, holding him back from her. “If the downworlders hadn't come for me there wouldn't have been a problem. The sword proved my innocence and yet I am still being punished for a crime I did not commit” she said.

“You could have met with the downworld leaders, Imogen. Instead, you chose war” Magnus snarled, wanting to pluck her eyes from her head as she followed every move Alec made like a hawk. He hadn't missed the way she had sneered the word downworlder. “Instead of holding the London institute accountable for their actions you encouraged their despicable behaviour. You were removed from that position for your lack of leadership skills, not as you say because we were on a witch hunt. Maybe you should have thought about the consequences of your actions before you went ahead and pushed your people into a war that Dorothea and I had to put an end to” he said, breathing heavily as he stared at the infuriating woman.

“Lack of leadership skills?” Imogen snarled. “I am a Herondale and as such…”

“Then you should have known better” Magnus interjected, the ALPHA in his tone having her take a step back. “You bring disgrace to your family's once stellar reputation. You and you alone are responsible for dragging the name Herondale through the mud. Having a respectable last name does not give you the right to do whatever you like and it certainly does not automatically entitle you to the respect you seem to think you deserve. Respect has to be earned. You would know that if you didn't hide behind your ancestor's good deeds and acts of honour” he said, wondering how the Herondale family had managed to produce such a vile disappointment of a woman.

“How dare you speak to me like that” Immogen screamed before rebounding off the barrier Alec erected around his mate, seeing the intent of her actions before she had taken three steps forward. “You would have us all making friends of the downworld. Call your pet warlock off and we can discuss this Alpha to Alpha” she said when she couldn't get at Magnus.

“My pet warlock?” Magnus roared, fighting Dot and David who had grabbed him by the shoulders when he went for the woman. “Don't you fucking dare speak…”

“What the hell is going on out here?” Jia roared, every ounce of ALPHA she possessed rippling down the corridor in an almost visible wave as the crowd that had gathered, unnoticed by the group, bowed their heads or scurried off. “Imogen, you will not speak to my guests like that. You have work to be getting on with so I suggest you remove yourself at once before you find yourself without a job at all” she snarled, glaring at Imogen until she backed off and stalked off down the corridor.

“Mr Lightwood, please excuse the rudeness of Miss Herondale,” Jia said as she moved forward to shake hands with each of them. “Please, come in. I am so glad you have agreed to a meeting. Can I offer you and your assistant some refreshment?” she asked as she ushered the four of them into her office and gestured to the chairs.

“This isn't a social call Jia,” Magnus said as he threw himself into a chair, pulling Alec down into the seat next to his. “Alexander, can you do something about any ears that feel the need to listen in please?” he asked, smiling when his mate placed what he supposed was a silencing spell on the room. He didn't miss the click of the lock on the door, and neither did Jia.

“Magnus, what is going on? And why do you have a warlock casting spells in my office?” Jia asked with a half confused half angry expression on her face. “I had assumed this was a meeting between the high warlock and me, and that you were simply here as an escort. Am I mistaken?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Why was Malachi de-runed, Jia?” Magnus asked outright. They had known each other for too long to bother beating around the bush and he wasn't in the mood for any bullshit, not after his encounter with Imogen Herondale. He had planned on a calm exchange between them, the hateful shadowhunter had fucked up any possibility of that happening though. He wanted to hunt her down and strangle the stupid bitch. He breathed deeply, inhaling his mate's scent where it wafted up from the leather jacket he was wearing, trying to calm himself.

“Magnus, that is not something I care to discuss,” Jia said, wondering if he had lost his mind. He wanted to discuss clave matters in front of downworlders? “If we aren't here to…”

“Jia, why was Malachi De-runed? Answer me” Magnus said, staring her down. He held a hand up when he saw the protest she was about to make, cutting her off. “I asked Dorothea to come to the Gard and collect a list of names of shadowhunters that had been transferred to other institutes, can you guess what she found?” he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on her desk. He saw realisation sink in before her face blanched. “Please tell me you had nothing to do with this Jia?” he asked, praying to the Angel that she wasn't responsible.

“This is not something we can discuss in front of the downworld leaders, Magnus,” Jia said incredulously. “I am sorry Mr Lightwood, but these are private clave matters and they do not concern you so I must ask you to leave if you are not here to discuss an arrangement between our people,” she said to Alec, standing up to show them to the door.

“That is exactly what I am here to discuss, Mrs Penhallow, you are incorrect when you say that it does not concern me or my people though,” Alec said, narrowing his eyes at the woman as she resumed her seat. “I am well aware of the fact that your clave has been spying on my people, for quite some time apparently. That you would also follow your own people speaks volumes about what sort of operation you are running here. Tell me, do you get some sort of sick pleasure from keeping mates apart and torturing your people when they follow your laws?” Alec asked, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms. He wasn't going anywhere!

“Magnus, what have you done?” Jia asked, horror stamped across her face. “You have disclosed highly classified information regarding the clave to a downworlder, and you, you have helped him,” she said, turning on Dot, it didn't take a genius to work out where the warlock had gotten his information from. 

“What have I done? What have you done, Jia? Magnus asked, his gaze boring into hers. “How could you? How could you spy on our people, on the entire shadow world? I thought you wanted peace. Its what we have all worked so hard for. Ten fucking years of my life I've given to your cause Jia. I have given everything for this clave and so has Dorothea and you throw it all away, for what? Do the sacrifices we have made mean so little to you?” he asked, more hurt than angry as he stared at one of his oldest friends.

“I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave, Mr Lightwood, Mr Lewis. I will have some of the guards escort you out” Jia said. She stared at them expectantly, rising to her feet when neither of them moved. “I said, it is time for you to leave, these matters do not concern either of you,” she said, stalking around the desk to escort them out. She stopped in her tracks at the growls emanating from Magnus and Dot, staring at them when they jumped to their feet and moved to stand in front of the two warlocks. “What the…”

She stared at her friends, at the way they stood in front of the men protectively, both of them baring their teeth at her. She inhaled deeply, taking in their mixed scents before realisation hit. Her gaze snapped to Dots neck, the sight of her blemish-free skin bringing a sigh of relief before her eyes zeroed in on the scarf wrapped around Magnus’ neck, her eyes widening in horror.

“Magnus… you didn't...?” fuck! She fought the tears that stung her eyes as she stared at her oldest friend. “I could have protected you! If it was just the files, I could have kept it quiet. But I cant protect you from this! There is no hiding this. Once the rest of the clave find out there is nothing I can do to protect you, Magnus!” she yelled as she reached forward and yanked the scarf from around his neck when his eyes widened. “What the fuck is that?” she asked when she saw the hicky on his neck, her eyebrows mashing into a thin line of confusion.

“That is the only mark I can carry from my mate” Magnus snarled, yanking the scarf from her limp fingers as she stared at the hicky on his neck, relief flooding her face. “Did you have anything to do with the files, with following downworlders and torturing our people? You may as well tell us, our mates aren't going anywhere. They know all about the files we found” Magnus said.

Jia stared at the four of them, her eyes darting between them, staring at the men who had stood up to stand with her friends. They had found their mates, their downworlder mates! Her heart broke for them both. 

“No, Magnus. I didn't have anything to do with it. It was Malachi,” she said with a sigh, moving back to her seat and slumping down. “I was visiting the institute in Krakow when I was confronted by a werewolf demanding to see her mate. It took a while to get to the bottom of what the distraught woman wanted. She explained that her mate had disappeared without an explanation or a trace, she just vanished. The woman was insisting that we hand her over and stop following her. It took me months of digging to piece it all together. It wasn't until I found some handwritten notes Malachi had left behind at a meeting that I finally had a stroke of luck” she said, walking over to the cabinet and pulling a couple of bottles out. “Do the honours Magnus?” she asked, plonking them down in front of him.

“Is it that bad?” he asked, mixing some drinks up when she nodded and put a few glasses on the desk. “What happened? What did you find?” he asked, starting when she downed the vodka martini and held her glass out for another.

“I found his files on the servers, he didn't even cover his tracks,” she said with a shake of her head, sipping her second drink as Magnus handed the others a glass each. “He had been experimenting for years, trying to find a cure” she snarled.

“A cure? For what?” Alec asked, exchanging a mystified look with his mate, Magnus looking just as confused as he was.

“A cure for our ‘affliction’ he wanted to find a way to stop shadowhunters and downworlders mating,” Jia said, almost laughing at the thought. “Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? He had realised how many shadowhunters and downworlders were meant to be mates having tried so many cases. He was ‘doing us a favour’ apparently” she said sarcastically. “He had set up an underground clinic on Wrangel Island. He had the silent brothers treating the unmated shadowhunters who were ‘mentally damaged’ hoping to cure them of their need for their mates and had been de-runing them when they wouldn't respond to the treatments. As if you can cure somebody of living without the other half of themselves” she said, finishing her second drink and holding her glass up for a third.

“He had the downworlders followed, monitoring their responses to losing their mates,” Jia said when she had her drink in hand. “Anytime a new transfer request would come through the clave, he would send one of his men to watch the shadowhunter then have them transferred to the island while another one would follow the downworlder of the pair. Then he would experiment on them. When I finally put it together I confronted him in Angel Square. He had the gall to say he was helping us and the downworld. He had been doing it for years, hundreds of shadowhunters and downworlders lives were destroyed and he had the audacity to say he was helping” she said.

“What happened to the shadowhunters? Surely there must have been some survivors?” Dot asked, horrified at what he had done. She had read so many files, files that had last been updated six months before, just before he had been de-runed.

“They are still there, under the care of the silent brothers,” Jia said with a sigh, holding her hand up when they all started snarling at her. “What was I supposed to do? Some of them had been there ten years or more. The experiments have stopped but they were kept prisoner there. There are over 100 ill shadowhunters that needed proper care. The silent brothers who were helping him have been de-runed along with every one of his men and women. But the fact remains, the shadowhunters that are there may never be saved. All I could do was make them as comfortable as possible and get them some proper care”

“Why didn't you tell me?” Magnus asked. Jia looked as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Have you told anyone?” he asked as he stared at her.

“How was I supposed to tell you?” Jia asked him, her shoulders slumping as she scrubbed a hand over her face. “What was I supposed to say? A group of shadowhunters has been torturing their fellow clave members and following downworlders, here is the next institute, why don't you go and lie to them all whilst you try and get them to play nice. There would have been uproar on both sides” she said, glaring at the four of them, daring them to try and disagree. “You already had so much on your plate, did you want me to shovel a whole new pile of shit onto it? I couldn't tell anyone, they would have come for my job faster than I could blink then where would we be? Total fucking war. There are too many shadowhunters that would be happy to continue waging war against the downworld and not enough to hold back the downworlders that come for us on a daily basis” she said.

“Can you blame them? They want their mates” David said “you ask what you are supposed to do with the shadowhunters that are left from this Malachi's experiments. You let them go, let them be with their mates. Who knows, maybe they will respond to being with their mates” he said, staring at her pointedly.

“It is against clave law for downworlders and shadowhunters to mate,” Jia said, wondering what Dot and Magnus had actually told them, why were they together? From all that she had seen and read, shadowhunters almost always left, finding it too hard to be around their mates. So why were they dragging it out? “If they went to their mates they would be breaking the law and tried as criminals,” she said.

“Then change the law,” Alec said, staring at the defeated looking woman before him. “Why do you think downworlders have such a problem with the clave? We have either lost our mates or at least know somebody that has lost their mate and killed themselves because they can't handle the separation. Have you ever seen the destruction your law creates? Have you ever witnessed the devastation of living without the person made for you first hand? I have read those files Dot retrieved and the reactions of your shadowhunters are exactly the same as the rejected downworlders. Shadowhunters reject their mates, the downworld loses someone they care for and retaliate, the clave responds with the same violence. When will it all end?” he asked, dearly wishing he could punch something.

“What do you think I have been doing for the last ten years?” Jia asked frustratedly, snatching the bottle from Magnus and pouring another drink. “It isn't as simple as that. This is a clave decision, I may be their leader but I don't have the power to just change the law at a whim. The entire clave has to vote. There are so many superfluous laws that need to change but I cant do it alone. Why do you think I have been sending Magnus and Dot around the world? For the fun of it? Stop growling Magnus” she said, glaring at her friend when a low warning growl rumbled through him.

“Then watch your tone when you talk to my mate,” Magnus said, staring at her before snatching the bottle back from her hand, she had had quite enough in his opinion. “Don't get bitchy with him because you cant handle your liquor,” he said, taking her glass too.

“I'm sorry, I've been fighting for so long and I'm getting nowhere,” Jia said, sinking back into her chair and looking each of them in the eye. “The entire clave has to vote, that is why I have been sending Magnus to try and form some sort of peace agreements between our people so that when the time comes to approach the clave they will be more susceptible to change. They have to be shown it is possible for us to coexist peacefully. My end goal has always been to reach a new accord between us. But that will never happen the way things stand. If we can do it on a smaller scale, one institute, one city at a time when there may come a time when there is enough peace to broach the subject of a new set of accords” she said.

“We need to do something now,” Magnus said, taking Alec's hand. “Because I cant give him up, I refuse to. I was foolish enough to try once and he was gracious enough to give me another chance. A chance that I will not squander. I cant live without him Jia, I refuse to” he said as she gaped at him.

“Me neither,” Dot said. “For some reason, this beautiful, stubborn, amazing man wants me around. I already told him he could do better but he is even more stubborn and determined than I am and honestly, I don't even want to think about trying to live without him” she said, having to hold herself back from throwing herself onto his lap and snuggling into him, he was a good cuddler and the feeling of his arms, wrapped around her, was beyond anything she had imagined wanting.

“I never thought I would see the day Dottie Rollins would want a mate” Jia said with a sly grin, catching Magnus’ eye before they both started howling at the murderous expression on her face.

“Dottie?” David asked with a sly grin of his own, snatching his mate up and pulling her onto his lap when she turned her glare on him. “You never mentioned this last night sweetheart, Dottie is such an adorable name for such an adorable Alpha” he whispered in her ear.

“It is not adorable! And I am not adorable” Dot said as she scowled at him “I am an Alpha shadowhunter, I know at least a hundred ways to kill a man with my bare hands and am proficient in every weapon known to man. I am not adorable I am deadly” she muttered, inhaling his scent as she scowled at her friends, her friends who were gaping at her.

“Of course you are, my little pint-sized shadowhunter,” David said quietly to his sulking Alpha, chuckling as she settled into his chest. They had spent hours talking the night before, deciding, with a monumental effort, to wait before they took their relationship any further. They had both jumped straight into bed with previous partners, neither of them had had a proper relationship before and decided that they wanted to get to know each other, to do it properly before they took the physical aspect of their relationship any further. It was a novel feeling for both of them but they had talked for hours before falling into an exhausted sleep in Alec's spare room.

Jia stared at Dot, her mouth hanging open in shock. She had never seen anyone but Magnus calm her instantly like that, maybe David would be good for her, maybe he would be able to heal the pain she lived with every day.

“If you are determined to change the law and be together then you will need the clave on your side,” Jia said, looking each of them in the eye. “It will be a monumental task but you will need a majority vote for a change in any law,” she said.

“What ratio?” Magnus asked, leaning forward in his seat. He couldn't help the hope that bloomed in his chest. She wasn't saying no.

“Sixty-forty in your favour” Jia said. “You can start with the institutes you have already dealt with first, they may be more sympathetic to your plight, Raziel knows you are going to need all the help you can get. You know how old this law is and how absolute” she said cryptically, not willing to discuss it in front of the downworlders. The Angel knew how much Magnus and Dot deserved to have mates but she would not talk about it in front of them.

Magnus kept a straight face, not daring to look at any of his silent companions. He loved Jia almost like a sister but there was no way she would be able to protect him if anyone ever found out that he had told his mate and his family about the wish that had been granted to the clave.

“Divide and conquer?” Magnus asked Dot, smiling when she nodded. “We will take half each if you are both willing to portal us around,” Magnus said, turning to his mate and David. “We stand our best chance if we can get the shadowhunters who have had to reject their mates on side first. They can help us convince the rest of them” he said.

“Be careful Magnus,” Jia said with a warning glance at him and Dot. “You have to handle this as diplomatically as possible, you cant give them false hope. If you are unable to pull this off they will have gotten their hopes up for nothing” she said with a sigh. “Have someone trustworthy take over the New York Institute for a few days, you will need the time,” she said.

“What about the shadowhunters at Wrangel Island, the ones without their mates?” Dot asked, interlocking her fingers with Davids. She had found her mate within the last twenty-four hours and she already found it hard to think about going a day without being with him, she couldn't imagine what it must be like for those who had been without their mates for years. “What will happen to them?” she asked.

“If you can make any progress with the clave and secure their votes then they will be released to their mates” Jia said with a sad smile. “If not then I honestly don't know. None of them are fit for duty I know that much. Don't worry, I won't be snatching anyone's runes from them, whether we can change the law or not. That would be too cruel after everything they have been through. They will not be notified of your plan unless you can secure the change, most of them already want to end it, I won't have them filled with hope just to snatch it away from them” she said firmly.

"I can't promise this will fix everything but it will go a long way towards helping relations between the shadow world" Alec said, reaching across the desk and taking Jia's hand in a quick handshake. "maybe if we can fix this law we will see peace between our people one day, maybe you will even get your Accords" he said

“Thank you, Jia,” Magnus said, standing up and walking around the desk to hug his friend, relieved that she wasn't involved in the atrocities committed by Malachi. “Thank you for helping us” he whispered in her ear.

“I'm just glad to see that you finally have a mate, both of you,” she said, giving him an extra squeeze. “And he is cute, isn't he?” she whispered with a grin.

“He is beautiful;” Magnus said, gazing at his mate. “We will start tomorrow morning, I'll send progress reports, keep you in the loop,” he said, releasing her and walking over to his mate. “Alexander, could you portal me to the institute? I need to make the arrangements before we make a start. Don't worry, I won't be long, as soon as I'm done I'll come to your apartment, we have some unfinished business” he said when a high pitched whine escaped his mate, wrapping him up and kissing his lips, nose and forehead. “See you later, my love,” he said with a wink for his grinning mate, smiling at the wistful expression on his face before stepping through the portal he created.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to anyone who finds my depictions a bit graphic, I can't help it lol. I swear with each fic I'm getting worse, I'll be typing about dripping arseholes and describing what the inside of their guts look like by the time I reach the end of this one smh
> 
> Also, shy Magnus needs to be a thing bc him blushing is what I live to see. And Alec's sassy, filthy mouth is everything!

Magnus stepped from the portal straight into the Op's centre, marvelling at how much easier it was to get around with Alec's help, not having to wait for the warlock Jia employed was a blessing. He narrowly avoided a dagger to the face, ducking just in time when it came sailing through the air inches above his head.

“Who threw that?” he growled, narrowing his eyes at the armed crowd, staring back at him with wide eyes before putting their weapons away. He shook his head when a young shadowhunter stepped forward, a nervous expression on her face but the set of her shoulders showed a certain bravery he had to admire. “Miss... Brookwater is it? please refrain from throwing blades at portals in future, I am trying to come to a peaceful agreement with the downworld and having daggers thrown at them when they portal into the institute will not endear them to our cause” he said, walking over and retrieving the dagger that had buried itself in the wall behind him.

“It was a good shot and would have killed me instantly,” Magnus said as he handed the dagger back to the surprised girl, noting the flash of pride that shone in her eyes. “But can you please think before you act next time?” he asked.

“Yes sir, I'm sorry, it was an automatic reaction. It won't happen again” Brookwater said, surprised that he hadn't ripped her a new one. “I am sorry…” she trailed off when he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“It’s fine, nobody got hurt and your reaction time was fast, with a little more restraint we might make a decent shadowhunter of you, but you need to realise that not all downworlders are our enemies” Magnus said as he looked at the girl, a recent transfer from London, maybe she had found her mate in the downworld? were they getting younger? He wondered. This one looked fresh from the academy, she barely looked old enough to receive her angelic rune, and to have found her mate already! He dismissed her with a pat on the shoulder and turned to the crowd, surprised when he saw Christopher Swanson.

“Chris, what are you doing back so soon?” Magnus asked, motioning Chris away from the crowd and taking his hand in a quick handshake. “I wasn't expecting you back until next week,” he said, trying to remember when he had said he would be going into heat.

“My heat came in early, I only just got out of here in time,” Chris said quietly. “I should have known,” he said ruefully, a shudder running through him.

“Well, I'm glad you are back, I will need your help,” Magnus said, grateful that he had someone he could trust to leave in charge. “How would you feel about running the Institute for a few days?” he asked, smiling when the look of horror on the mans face turned to one of surprise, a small spark of pride lighting his eyes up.

“I am calling a meeting, so nobody disappear,” Magnus called to the rest of the room when he caught them stealing glances at him while they worked. They looked like they were waiting for him to explode on them, the thought had him shaking his head with a sigh. He pulled his phone out and sent an institute-wide text, calling the meeting. He watched the shadowhunters work while they waited for the rest of them to arrive. 

They worked well together, each person seemed to know what they were doing, focusing on the tasks they were completing. If he could just get them to stop automatically trying to kill every downworlder they came across, they stood a chance of becoming one of the better institutes he had reformed. He had read through their reports and case files when he had been unable to sleep. They were one cohesive unit and were a force to be reckoned with, he just needed to get them to see that the downworld wasn't the enemy and channel that passion that they fought with into something productive, like hunting demons. It would be easier now that the troublemakers were gone. He took up a position at the head of the room when they started to pour in, pleased that they had arrived so quickly, much better than last time.

“Thank you for arriving in a timely fashion,” Magnus said when they gathered around. “Dorothea and I have been set a mission by the consul. We will be gone for a few days, in the meantime, Swanson will take over the running of this institute” he said, motioning for Chris to join him. “He will have full say on all matters and it will be up to him to approve all missions. He will be keeping me informed and I will be expecting a full report when I return so please resist the urge to go on any downworld murder sprees. I will not tolerate it and any transgressors will be severely punished, do I make myself clear?” he asked, breathing a sigh of relief when they all nodded.

“Good, dismissed,” Magnus said, watching as the crowd dispersed. “Chris, come with me,” he said, turning on his heel and leading Chris to his office. He closed the door behind them and sat down in his chair, observing the shadowhunter that took the seat opposite him. He looked like shit, he still looked dishevelled and miserable but the set of his shoulders and businesslike expression he had pulled onto his face showed that he hadn't entirely given up. “How are you feeling, Chris?” he asked.

“Honestly? I'm just about holding it together” Chris said, sagging in his chair. “LA was the breather I needed, it was torture, trying to get through my heat alone but I needed to get away. At least while I was there I didn't have to force myself not to go looking for him and your friends were nice. Clary and Jace were really good about me being there, especially Jace. He was really supportive, being a fellow Omega, he understood what I was going through. He took me straight down to the apartment when he saw the state I was in and looked after me” he said, looking at his boss, he looked much better, like he was at peace, almost happy?

“I'm afraid I don't have much experience with heats” Magnus said, cursing the blush that he could feel heating his cheeks, all he knew about an Omega going into heat was to stay away from the mated ones, their Alphas being extremely protective over them, almost to the point of aggression and to keep clear of the purpose-built apartments in the basement of each institute when the unmated Omegas locked themselves down there. His parents had died when he was twelve and had never really had ‘the talk’ with him. He and Dot had picked up bits and pieces as they grew up, comparing snippets of information, neither of them willing to approach one of the adults and ask about specifics. He had slept with Omegas before but never when any of them had been in heat.

“It is hell on earth,” Chris said with a shudder. “Before I found Olivia and her potions I had to either suffer through them alone or try and find an Alpha to help me get through them, she is the sweetest soul and has saved me time and time again. You don't understand the all-consuming need!” he said with a shudder. “It was worse this time, I had to deal with nesting. Meeting my Alpha sent my hormones haywire. Apparently, my body seems to think that I am ready for children now that I have come into contact with my Alpha. I should have realised I was nesting and that it would come on early but it can send you a bit scatterbrained” he said with a shake of his head, he hadn't even been aware of what he had been doing.

“Yes… well… it is over now” Magnus said uncomfortably. He had heard of it before but didn't know the specifics and felt that Chris wasn't really the person to further his education on the matter.

“Have you had a chance to think about my transfer?” Chris asked, choosing to ignore the furious blush on his Magnus' face. He didn't want to move away, New York was his home but he had already had to physically restrain himself from leaving the institute three times in the few hours he had been back. His need for his Alpha since his heat was getting worse, it was a constant physical ache in his gut. Distance wouldn't help but at least if he was away from him he couldn't go looking for him. “Maybe Clary would let me move there, the LA institute’s shadowhunters are much nicer than these lot,” he said. The other side of the country should be far enough, he hoped.

“Actually, that is something I want to talk to you about,” Magnus said after taking a moment to decide whether to tell him. He didn't want to get the man's hopes up but if they were able to change the law then Chris wouldn't have to go anywhere. “Chris, we aren't the only ones who have found our mates within the downworld. I don't want to get your hopes up, I may not be able to pull this off but I am going to try with everything I have. I have just returned from the Gard, from a meeting with Jia. the reason I am leaving is that my mate and I are fighting for a change in the law that forbids shadowhunters and downworlders from mating” he said, wincing when a look of wild desperation spread across his face.

“You mean… I can… I will be able to take Ste… my Alpha as my mate?” Chris gasped out, his lungs constricting at the thought that he might be able to have his mate. He didn't realise he was on his feet and halfway to the door until he felt a hand wrap around his wrist, a small whine escaping him when Magnus firmly pulled him back.

“Chris, stop, you can't go to him,” Magnus said, wanting to kick himself in the balls for the man's reaction. He felt awful, knowing that he was going to be with his mate when he was telling Chris to stay away from his but the man looked desperate. If his first reaction was to run from the room and find his Alpha, would he be able to restrain himself from mating the guy? He pulled Chris back to his seat and propped himself on the edge of his desk to look at the man. “I can't promise we will be able to secure a change in the law but we are going to try. I am going on a trip to try and convince as many people as possible to vote in our favour but it could take a while. You have to be prepared to wait. If you can't I can have Alexander portal you back to LA where you can wait it out, I won't force you to stay here if you feel like you can't wait. If you can't restrain yourself for you then do it for your Alpha” he said.

“I would wait an eternity for him,” Chris said, trying to control the wild beating of his heart as hope surged through him. He reigned it in, forcing it not to take root in his gut, and forced his face into a neutral expression, not wanting to put too much pressure on Magnus. “What can I do to help?” he asked, determined to help in any small way he could. He could force himself not to go to Steven if there was even a small chance that he would be able to have him, assuming he didn't completely hate him, the thought made him shudder. He would beg for a second chance if that is what it took, he would fight for his Alpha because the alternative was too much to bear.

“For a start, you can keep this place running while we are gone,” Magnus said, beaming with pride when a calm, resolute expression settled on Chris’ face, it was the same determined, take no shit expression his Omega wore when he talked of fighting for them. “The plan is to talk to the shadowhunters who have rejected their mates, to get them on our side and have them try and convince their friends to vote in our favour. It won't be easy, the hatred between the shadow world runs deep and people will be scared for their children but we need to change, hopefully, there are enough of us to convince the others” he said, smiling when Chris nodded thoughtfully.

“While we are gone, I need you to make a list of everyone here who has been transferred from other institutes,” Magnus said. “We have surmised that the other transfers are people who have moved away from their mates or their parabatai so I will need a list of everyone here who has come from another institute. Don't tell them yet, I don't need an institute-wide revolt if this gets out. I will broach the subject with them once I return, we are starting with the institutes I have already reformed” he said.

“Are they all like LA? All the institutes you have reformed?” Chris asked. There was still the occasional backstabber there but from what he had seen of the place it was so different compared to what it was like in New York, there wasn't a constant fight between the institute and the downworld there for a start. His respect for Magnus had rocketed when he had seen what it was like there.

“Pretty much, the threat of severe punishment looming over their heads if they break the agreements I have set up certainly helps,” Magnus said, chuckling along when Chris laughed. “But they seem to be happier without the constant threat of being attacked by angry downworlders too. It's win-win in my opinion” Magnus said. “I have to go soon, are you going to be okay staying?” he asked, rising to his feet.

“Yes, I will keep them under control, even if I have to chuck some of them in the cells,” Chris said. “Don't worry about me Magnus, I will control myself, I won't do anything that could ruin my chance to be with him if you manage to pull this off,” he said when he saw the concerned expression on Magnus’ face. “Even if you can't do this, I want to say thank you for trying, for at least giving us a chance,” he said, trying to put every ounce of gratitude he felt into it when he clasped Magnus’ hand in a handshake before wishing him luck and leaving the office.

Magnus walked through the institute, stopping off in the Op's centre to adjust Chris’ clearance before making his way to pack a weekend bag. He packed his usual clothes, grabbed his toothbrush and phone charger and was out the front doors of the institute in a flash. He quickly made his way down the street, wanting to get back to his mate, he missed him already. He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Alec that he didn't notice the figure that slipped out of the door behind him and followed him quietly down the street.

**

Alec let out a sigh of relief when his wards went off, a few seconds before he heard a knock on the front door of his store. He portaled to the front door, too impatient to wait the few minutes it would have taken him to walk down the stairs, and flung the door open, throwing himself at Magnus and wrapping himself around him. “I missed you!” he whispered as he inhaled Magnus’ scent.

“I missed you too,” Magnus said with a chuckle, having to grab the doorframe to stop himself from falling back out the door when his mate slammed into him. He half carried Alec back through the door and kicked it closed behind him, having to wrestle his warlock, his weekend bag and the bag of ingredients he had picked up on the way. He didn' want to say anything to his mate but he had had to force the godawful stew his mate had made them down his throat, his cooking was almost as bad as Dot’s. He had decided then and there that he would take over chef duties not wanting to die of food poisoning before he had even had a chance to claim his Omega. “I brought dinner,” he said, dropping his bags and kissing his mate thoroughly.

“Good, I’m, starving,” Alec muttered between kisses, breathing hard when Magnus’ tongue pushed into his mouth. He opened up automatically, pulling Magnus closer as he swirled his own tongue into his mate's mouth, grinning into it when he heard his Alphas harsh breathing.  
“Come on, I'll make us dinner, what did you bring?” he asked when they broke from the kiss.

“NO!... no, its okay, I can cook. I love cooking” Magnus said quickly, trying to cover his gaffe before his mate could notice. "in fact, I love cooking so much that I want to do all the cooking from now on,” he said. He felt awful but he didn't want to hurt his mates feelings.

“Good, because I hate cooking and I'm shit at it. I only made that stew because I thought you would like me to cook for you” Alec said, with a grin. “Don't think I didn't notice the look on your face when you tasted it,” he said, grabbing the bag of food and dragging his mate through the store and up the stairs to his apartment.

“Why did you let me eat it then?” Magnus huffed, gutted that his mate was on to him. He gaped at Alec when his mate started to tug his clothes off the moment the door was closed behind him. “Don't you at least want to have dinner first?” he asked a with a chuckle when Alec pulled his shirt up and over his head.

“Silly Alpha” Alec muttered as he undid the weapons belt holding his mates pants up and yanked his trousers down, tugging to get Magnus to step out of them. He clicked his fingers, summoning a pair of his black satin pyjamas for his mate and shoved them at him. “Put these on,” he said, gathering the clothes his mate had been wearing, leaving him to put them on and walking off through to his bedroom, sniffing them on the way as he hummed to himself.

Magnus watched his mate go as he stood clutching the clothes he had handed him, a confused expression on his face. He looked down at the bag of clothes he had brought with him, what was wrong with his own clothes? Maybe Alec was just a die-hard fashionista? He certainly had his own style. He stared down at the satin pyjamas in his hand, was he really expecting him to wear these?

“Put those on, Magnus. I'm starving and as much as you look like an all you can eat buffet, I want some actual food” Alec said when he returned to the living room. “What did you bring?” he asked, snatching the bag of food up and carrying it to the kitchen. His heart stopped when he opened it up. “Are these… for me?” he asked when his mate came stumbling in behind him, trying to pull the pants on and almost falling over in his haste.

“So impatient!” Magnus huffed when he managed to pull the slippery pants all the way up. “Yes, they are for you, do you like them?” he asked hopefully, taking the bag from his mate and pulling out the slightly squashed bouquet of red roses he had bought him. Who knew late night florists where a thing? He had immediately thought of his mate when he had seen them.

“They… are gorgeous. Thank you” Alec said around the lump in his throat. Nobody had brought him flowers before. He hadn't really ever thought about things like flowers but he was touched by the thoughtful gesture from his mate. He pressed a quick kiss to his mates lips before conjuring a vase, something he didn't own and fussed over the arrangement of the flowers as his mate started digging through the cupboards.

“Where are Dot and David?” Magnus asked as he dug through the cupboards and drawers for pots and pans and a knife. He frowned when he saw the scowl on his mates face when he straightened up.

“They portalled back to Davids apartment, they wanted some alone time, thank Lilith,” Alec said as he started to unload the bag, his face brightening when he saw the Lasagne sheets, his favourite! “I don't want them here anyway, it is just us, how it should be!” he said happily, setting it all out on the countertop.

“Okay...” Magnus said with a confused expression on his face, Alec didn't strike him as one of those psychotic possessive omegas but he certainly sounded like one. He stole glances at his mate as he started to chop onions and garlic up, silently doing the prep as the oil in the frying pan started to heat up. He tossed the ingredients into the pan before starting on the tomatoes. “Will they be joining us? I've brought enough for everyone” he asked tentatively.

“NO!” Alec snarled, he didn't want them there! “It's just you and me, I don't want them stinking up the place with their scents” he muttered as he opened the bottle of red wine he had found in the bag and poured them a glass each, rolling it around his tongue when he tasted it, delicious! he thought before swallowing. “What?” he asked when he noticed his mate staring at him.

“Nothing,” Magnus said quickly, taking the bottle and splashing some into the pan. “Alexander, are you… okay?” he asked when Alec sat on a stool on the other side of the island that separated the kitchen from the dining area, to watch him cook.

“Yes, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?” Alec asked with a look of confusion for his mate, shrugging the question off when Magnus just shook his head and continued preparing the Lasagne. He was starving and the smells coming from the various pans made his mouth water. He watched his alpha with glowing eyes as he silently put the meal together, grinning at the sight of him as he learned the layout of his kitchen. He looked gorgeous in the satin pyjamas. He stalked around the island and wrapped his arms around Magnus’ waist when he closed the oven door.

“How long does it take to cook?” Alec whispered in his mates ear, kissing the hickey he had left on his mate's neck earlier on, grinning when Magnus turned in the cage of his arms and lifted him onto the counter. A small part of his brain noted that Magnus had cleaned as he had worked, leaving it spotless.

“Long enough” Magnus murmured as he stared up into the glowing silver eyes of his mate. He pushed in between his mate knees to catch his lips in a tooth clashing kiss, the sight of those glowing eyes forced his breath out in a stutter. He skimmed his hands down the back of the blue silk pyjama top his mate was wearing to cup his ass, pulling him closer. His heart started hammering in his chest when he heard the low moan Alec let out as he wrapped his legs around his waist.

“You really have missed me” Magnus whispered as he trailed kisses down his mate's jaw, his cock twitching when he felt the hard ridge of Alec's cock pressed against his own, the counter was the perfect hight! “How about we move this to the bedroom?” he whispered into Alec's neck when his mate tilted his head, grazing his teeth over the scent glands in his mate's neck.

“Why go that far?” Alec gasped out when he felt his mates teeth on the skin of his neck, a high pitched whine hissing out as his eyes slammed closed. His hips jerked forward at the sensation as his breathing shallowed further. Fuck! He wanted Magnus to sink his teeth in so badly. “I don't know if I want to wait that long” he whispered.

“Me either” Magnus muttered, yanking his Omegas top up over his head before his lips found his mates collarbone, trailing kisses across the bone before licking into the hollow in his throat, just below his Adam's apple. The sound of his mate's ragged breathing when he tipped his head back was music to his ears. He giggled when the hair on Alec's chest tickled his nose as he took his nipple into his mouth, biting down on it.

“Magnus!” Alec breathed, combing his fingers into his mates hair and pulling his head up into another kiss, pushing into his mouth in a fight for dominance that stole what little breath he had left. His dragged Magnus’ top off, only breaking the kiss to lift it over his head before claiming his lips again. 

Magnus lifted Alec off the counter, grinning against his lips when he clamped his legs tighter around his waist. He sank to his knees, laying his mate down on the kitchen floor and pulled his pyjama pants off, a low growl of approval rumbling through him when he saw that his mate had gone commando beneath the silky material. He trailed kisses down his mate's chest and stomach, stopping at every ridge of muscle to lick and nip each indentation. Fuck, his mate had the most beautiful body he had ever seen. He smirked when Alec started panting his name out when his breath hit his cock. He licked up the underside of Alec's dick before taking the entire length of it in his mouth, sinking slowly down onto it until it hit the back of his throat.

“Shit, Magnus!” Alec muttered when he saw his Alpha gag on his cock, the sound had him gasping out, it was fucking perfect. His eyes rolled into the back of his head when he started bobbing up and down on it, he couldn't help throwing a leg over his mate's shoulder, his asshole twitching when he felt Magnus’ hands grip under his ass to hold his bucking hips still. The feel of his mates fingers so close to his asshole had him reliving their earlier… activities, it had him wriggling, wanting nothing more than for Magnus to sink a finger or his cock into him.

“Open your mouth, sweetheart” Magnus whispered when he released Alec's cock, taking the hint from where his mate tried to line his hole up with his fingers. He reached up and watched with glowing eyes as Alec took his fingers into his mouth, getting them nice and wet. He pulled his fingers from his mate's mouth and brushed them over his puckered asshole. “Is this what you want?” he asked, pushing a finger into his mate's tight hole when Alec nodded at him with wide, bright silver eyes. The sound of his drawn-out moan had his cock twitching when he sank into the last knuckle.

“Oh… fuck, shit...Magnus” Alec gasped out, trying desperately to draw breath in at the intrusion as his mate opened him up. He clawed at the tiled floor while his Alpha fucked him with his fingers, screaming out when he added a second finger and curled them inside him. “Right fucking there” he shouted when he felt his mates fingers brush along his prostate, making his hips buck with each touch.

Magnus took Alecs leaking cock back into his mouth as he continued to finger his ass. He alternated between brushing his fingers along the bundle of nerves and tapping a light rhythm into the spot that had Alec's thighs shaking around his head. He could barely breathe around his Omegas dick but he couldn't care less, if he died right now he would go out with a smile on his face at the sounds of his mate's Pleasure.

Alec tugged on Magnus’ hair, it was too much! “Magnus, fuck me. Take that dick out of your pants and bury it in my ass, now” Alec groaned out, needing to feel his Alphas dick inside him. He moaned when Magnus released his dick and pulled his fingers out of his ass. He reached up and tried to rip the pyjama bottoms right off Magnus body when got up on his knees.

Magnus had never undressed so fast in his life! He almost ripped the material of the trousers his Omega had given him to wear, grinning when Alec tried to help him get them off. He was tempted to watch when Alec started to jerk himself off but the sight of his mate touching himself was too much. He growled in triumph as he finally managed to get the pants off. He took the lube his mate offered him with a chuckle, he hadn't even seen his mare conjure it. He fell over his mate's body when he had coated his cock with the slippery liquid, holding himself up with one arm as he lined himself up with Alec's asshole.

“You had better fuck me good, Alpha” Alec whispered in Magnus’ ear before slamming his forehead into his mate's shoulder when Magnus pushed into him. “Holy fucking demon shit” Alec cried out when Magnus sank right into his loosened asshole. He breathed through it when Magnus’ movements came to a stop, clawing at his back at the tight sensation of his mate's cock filling his ass up.

“Tell me when I can move, sweetheart” Magnus muttered, holding himself as still as possible. It took every ounce of self will not to just plough straight into him. He sucked on the outer shell of his mates ear before Alec signalled him to move. He withdrew his hips and fucked into his panting mate with shallow thrusts, letting him get used to the movements before pushing in deeper when the pants turned to moans. “This is going to be hard and fast” he whispered when Alec locked his ankles around his back and lifted his ass off the floor to get a better angle.

“Yes… just like that” Alec screamed when his mate started to slam into him, the new angle was perfect. He moaned every time a tingle of pleasure shot from his prostate to his balls, the pace his Alpha set meant it was almost continuous. A light sheen of sweat broke out across his body from the exertion of their frantic movements.

“Raziel! Remind me how hard this floor is next time I think it's a good idea to fuck you on the kitchen floor” Magnus muttered into his mate's neck as he wrecked his knees on the tiled floor. It hurt, but the pleasure of his mate's tight asshole, gripping every inch of him as he slammed in and out of him soon overrode the pain. His pleasure rose to a whole new level when Alec started laughing, the muscles of his ring squeezing him harder as his body vibrated with the movement, fuck, his mate was going to be the death of him! He raised his head, needing to keep his teeth away from Alec's scent glands and slammed his mouth down on Alecs, practically fucking his mouth with ragged breaths.

“Shit, I’m close” Alec muttered against his mates lips when Magnus picked up the pace. “Magnus! Fuuuck, you know how to use that cock, don't you?” he gasped out as his body twitched around his mate's dick. The constant pressure on his prostate stole his breath. He felt his balls tighten and screamed into his Alphas mouth when he came, almost smashing his head on the floor from the overwhelming pleasure of his orgasm when his body tightened its grip on Magnus’

“Fuck, Alexander!” Magnus roared when he came in his mate's ass, the words coming out of the Omegas mouth kicking his orgasm off. He breathed hard into Alec's mouth as he continued to pump rope after rope of come into his ass, moaning every time his cock jerked inside him. He collapsed onto Alec's chest when his arms gave out. “By the angel, that mouth of yours, Alexander. I swear it will be the end of me” he muttered, fighting for breath as his head dropped into the crook of his mate's neck.

“What a way to go though, face down and balls deep, it doesn't get better than that” Alec said shakily, chuckling when his mate started howling. “Ow, shit, stop laughing your dick is going to rip me a new asshole” Alec groaned, alternating between laughing and wincing. “Get me up off this floor, Alpha, I am entirely too old to be lying on the kitchen floor,” he said when his mate levered himself up on his elbows to stare down at him, a grin still ghosting his features.

“Whats up? Has your back gone?” Magnus asked with a chuckle when Alec laughed. Fuck, he was beautiful when he laughed. He kissed his Omega long and hard to distract him when he pulled out of his perfect asshole.

“I think we need another shower” Alec muttered when he sat up, they were a mess and he was leaking in unmentionable places! He cleaned the floor with a click of his fingers when he stood up and dragged himself off for a quick shower “ I'll get the water nice and hot, don't be too long” he said over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of his naked Alpha checking on the dinner. He was starving and the Lasagne smelt good! He scooped up their clothes and Magnus’ bag on the way, inhaling their mixed scent, perfect! He thought.

Magnus stared when he entered Alec's bedroom. The rest of the apartment was clean enough to eat their dinner off, his room, however, looked like a bomb had hit it. There were clothes everywhere, his and his mates. His empty bag sat on the bed which was also covered in clothes. What the fuck? He walked into the en-suite when he heard his mate calling him and jumped in the shower, shrugging it off, his mate was odd! “Dinner is ready,” he said, grinning when Alec started washing at top speed.

“Good, I don't know about you but I've worked up one hell of an appetite,” Alec said with a wink for his mate. He washed Magnus’ hair for him when he wasn't going fast enough before dragging him from the shower and towelling off quickly. He hummed as he dug through his closet for something for them to wear, handing his mate a pair of sweats and staring at him until he put them on with a shake of his head.

“I did bring clothes of my own, Alexander,” Magnus said as he pulled the sweats up, glancing around the room at the piles of clothing.

“Yes, but you look so good in mine” Alec replied absently as he pressed a kiss to his Alphas lips before pulling him from the room and over to the table in the dining area where Magnus had set two plates of still steaming food.

Alec fell on his plate and started inhaling the Lasagne, his eyes widening at the taste. “Demons below! how did I land a mate that can fuck and cook?” he asked, slapping Magnus on the back when he choked on his food.

“I take it you like it?” Magnus asked when he got his breath back, wiping the tears from his streaming eyes when Alec's head bobbed up and down emphatically. He ate his own dinner at a more sedate pace, watching as Alec started stuffing his second helping down like starving man at an all you can eat restaurant.

“That was amazing, thank you, love,” Alec said, leaning back in his chair to watch Magnus finish his dinner. He tried and failed to hold back a yawn, he was exhausted. He cleared the table with a click of his fingers when Magnus finished, smiling when he pulled him up from his chair.

“I think I need to get you to bed before you fall asleep where you sit,” Magnus said with a chuckle when Alec nodded around another huge yawn. He was adorable when he was sleepy! He pulled his mate back to the bedroom, smiling when Alec turned each light out with a click of his fingers, what must that be like? He wondered. He frowned at the low growl coming from his Omega when he started pulling the clothes off the bed.

“Leave them” Alec growled, pulling Magnus into the middle of the bed when he stared at him. He wrapped himself around Magnus, smiling tiredly and inhaling deeply as he fell asleep to the sound of his mate's heartbeat, not seeing the way his Alpha stared around the room.

Magnus took a little longer to fall asleep, it felt amazing to have Alec in his arms but the piles of clothes surrounding them were just weird, what was his mates obsession with clothes? He tightened his arms around his Omega, pushing the question from his mind as he fell into an exhausted sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love centuries old Alec, if he was that old in the show he would probably be that confident. He is already sassy but with that many years and that much experience behind him I thought I'd ramp it up a bit lol


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one is for quiet ryter, I think you have been waiting for this one dear, thanks for your patience x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magnus calling Alec love is my aesthetic, swooooon!!!

“This is the final one, love” Magnus said quietly. He pushed Alec in front of him slightly as he looked over his shoulder at the group of shadowhunters they had just met with, praying to the angel that he could help the nineteen men and women who watched them go, with hope in their eyes before he grabbed Alec's hand and led him through the portal his mate created, leaving Moscow behind and heading to LA.

“Then we can go home?” Alec asked hopefully as they stepped out into the warm evening breeze. He looked up at the building they had arrived at, the LA institute. It was a beautiful old church that overlooked the ocean, the smell of the sea hanging in the air. “I need to go home, Magnus,” he said tiredly, desperately wanting them to return to his apartment and be alone.

“I know, sweetheart. I promise we will be quick, then we can go home” Magnus said, wishing he could wrap his tired looking Omega up in his arms and keep him away from every shadowhunter they would have to deal with. His discomfort at having them around his mate had been growing steadily worse over the course of the last three days. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his face when he saw Alec plucking at his clothes, an annoyed expression on his face.

“Yeah, I'm just uncomfortable, it been a long three days,” Alec replied, giving his mates hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go so Magnus could lead him inside. He scrubbed his hands over his face, absentmindedly wiping the sweat from his forehead before readying himself to follow his Alpha inside. He almost grabbed hold of the back of his mate's jacket, not wanting to be more than a few inches away from his Alpha if he could help it but restrained himself at the last minute.

Magnus stood at the entrance of the building in front of his mate, refusing to let Alec into the building first. He glared around the interior of the large hallway, his eyes taking in the entire entryway in one sweep before he let Alec into the building when he had surmised there was no danger. His eyes narrowed when he saw a few people walking by the bottom of the stairway ahead of them, all heads turning to look at them in surprise. His eyes landed on Clary who was descending the staircase, almost snarling as the other Alpha approached them with her arms wide.

“Magnus, I wasn't expecting you,” Clary said with a huge grin as she dashed forward to pull Magnus into a hug. She almost skidded to a stop when she saw his face, his teeth bared to her. “Magnus, are you… okay?” she asked, her eyes darting to the man standing behind her friend, she didn't miss the way he moved to block the guy from her view.

“Yes, I'm fine, biscuit. I’m here in an official capacity” Magnus said pulling Alec in close behind him, not wanting him exposed to any of them, especially not the few Alphas he could see from where he stood. “This is Alexander Lightwood. I will need the use of your office” he said, motioning her ahead when she simply nodded, following her through the hallway and up the stairs.

“Do you need me to prepare a couple of the guest rooms?” Clary asked, her head snapping around when she heard a high pitched whine come from behind her.

“No, thank you, we will be returning to New York as soon as we are finished here,” Magnus said quickly when the distressed sound came from his mate. He reached back, taking Alec's hand in his and rubbed reassuring circles into his hand with his thumb, lightly brushing over the skin to soothe his mate. Alec had been behaving oddly over the last few days, refusing to stay in any of the institutes, insisting they return to his apartment each night, insisting on them both wearing his silky pyjamas and refusing to let him wear his own clothes. He hadn't exactly fought his mate on the matter, he secretly liked how soft they were on his skin.

He couldn't say he blamed him for not wanting to stay in the institute’s if he were a downworlder, he probably wouldn't want to be shacked up with a load of shadowhunters. It had actually been nice, they had had the place to themselves, spending each night wrapped around each other, making love and snuggling into the mound of blankets and pillows on his mate's bed. But his Omegas homesickness had been worse today.

“May I ask why you are here?” Clary asked, trying to keep the concern from her voice. Magnus had the authority to walk into any institute and take leadership of the place without so much as a by your leave, it had her worried that she had done something wrong. “Are you here to take over?” she couldn't help asking, wondering who Magnus’ companion was and why Magnus was acting so strange. They had become good friends when he had been reforming the institute and she had heard through the grapevine that he was responsible for her position but him turning up out of the blue had her worried that he would also be responsible for taking it away.

“No, nothing like that Clarrisa, ill explain later,” Magnus said as they reached her office. He pulled Alec in after him and slammed the door behind them, breathing a sigh of relief. Clary was still there but he trusted her a lot more than the rest of them. He grabbed a chair for his mate and took Clary’s chair, switching her computer on and using his clearance to log in. he pulled up the personnel files and started to sift through them, smiling gratefully at Alec when he conjured them a coffee each and handed him one.

“Would you like a coffee?” Alec asked the cute red-haired girl who barely looked old enough to be a shadowhunter, never mind the head of an Institute. It felt weird to be offering her refreshments in her own office but he felt it would be impolite not to offer.

“Sure, black with plenty of sugar, please,” Clary asked, wondering why Magnus was allowing a warlock to look at files on her computer. She had nothing against downworlders but they were clave files. She took a seat, when he handed her a cup and watched the pair, Magnus taking notes of whatever they were looking at, and Alexander leaning into him, almost rubbing up against him. Neither seemed to be aware of the action but Magnus leaned closer. She stared at the warlock as he took deep breaths in through his nose, was he… sniffing Magnus.

“It is nice to meet you, Alexander, I am Clary Morgenstern-Wayland,” she said, leaning across the desk and offering her hand, testing a theory. She snatched her hand away when Magnus snarled at her, confirming her suspicions, Alexander was his mate!

“Actually, it's Alec. Magnus is the only one who calls me Alexander” Alec said. That he didn't allow anyone else to call him by his full name was implied in his tone. He leaned into his Alpha and inhaled his scent again. He wished they were done so he could get home. It was like a physical need, a need to be surrounded by his things and the familiar scents of his home. He took his phone out when it signalled he had a text, opening the lock screen and seeing it was from David, they had been texting back and forth over the last three days, informing each other of their progress. Dot and David had been as successful as they had. He opened the message, reading it with a scowl.

Uncle Alec, we have just finished with the last institute.  
We’ll meet you back at your apartment,  
See you soon, D+D x

Alec glared at the phone for a moment before hitting the call button. “Keep away from my apartment, David. Don't even think about going in there. Go to your place or your moms, but stay the fuck away from my place” he snarled into the phone, hanging up on David before he could utter a word and slamming it down onto the desk. He didn't notice the sharp glance from his Alpha or the wide-eyed, knowing stare from Clary.

“Clarissa, can you find these people and bring them here, please?” Magnus asked, sighing with relief when she left the room, a mixture of worry and pity on her face. “What was that about?” he asked, pulling his mate onto his lap, brushing his fingers through Alec's hair when he buried his nose in his neck.

“I don't want them in there” Alec mumbled into Magnus’ neck, distracted by the beautiful scent he dragged into his lungs. He sighed at the feel of Magnus’ fingers running through his hair, his eyes drifting closed when he felt his Alphas lips against his forehead, it was nice.

“Are you hungry, my love?” Magnus asked when he heard Alecs stomach growling. “I can fetch you something to eat if you like. Name it and it's yours, anything you want” He said, feeling guilty that his mate was going hungry, he hadn't eaten since dinner in Moscow, three hours ago, he realised as he glanced at his watch. He had thought Dot could eat but he had seen nothing until he started spending time with Alec, he was like a bottomless pit. He’d never say so but he was pretty sure his mate was trying to store fat for the winter. The thought had him stifling a chuckle.

“I'm starving,” Alec said, clicking his fingers and producing a protein shake, a burger and fries, and a large plate of cake and started stuffing it down. He was too busy inhaling his food to see the look on his mates face.

Magnus watched his Omega eat, scowling that he had had to get his own food. He was an awful Alpha! What kind of Alpha couldn't even provide food for his mate? He determined that he would do better next time before his face brightened, remembering he had a chocolate bar in his pocket. “For you, my love,” he said, taking it out and sliding it onto the desk in front of his Omega, glowing when Alec dropped his burger and snatched it up with a massive grin on his face, smiling as if all his Christmases had come at once. He loved seeing that dazzling smile on his Omegas face when he gave him even the smallest gift, it filled him with a sense of pride at being able to provide something that made his Omega happy.

“Thank you, Alpha,” Alec said, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ cheek. He clutched the chocolate bar as he continued to eat. He jumped when he heard a knock on the door, looking longingly at his Alpha before sliding back into his own chair.

“Come in” Magnus called out, reigning in the growl that was already starting to rumble through his chest at the thought of the crowd on the other side of the door. He didn't like it! He tried not to glare at them as they followed Clary in, twenty-eight in all. He thought about when they had gone to Paris yesterday, thirty-nine shadowhunters who had rejected their mates, Paris being one of the largest institute’s, and twenty-seven of their parabatai. He had almost had a heart attack when he had seen them descending on him and Alec. Reading the number of people they had had to talk to was one thing but seeing them near his mate was something else altogether!

“Clary, could you give us the room please?” Magnus asked as he took to his feet and shifted to stand in front of his mate. He didn't miss the confused, slightly worried look on her face when she silently nodded and closed the door behind her. He inspected the group of people milling around, dismissing three of them instantly when he saw mating marks on their necks. He separated them out simply by looking at them, thirteen lost looking souls, ten of whom had a friend standing close by, looking wary but not having that tired, downtrodden look on their faces. Which just left two. 

Magnus thought they looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where he had seen them before. “May I ask your reason for transferring to this institute Miss…?” Magnus asked the young woman, the younger of the two.

“Ferngate, Louise Ferngate, this is my brother Adam,” Louise said, staring cautiously at the floating institute head, her eyes darting to the man behind him before a growl had her head snapping back to Magnus. “We were sent here from London, some of our family members got into a spot of bother there. It was decided we would be less of an embarrassment to the clave if we were removed from London” she said, holding her head up high, challenging him to say something about her family.

“Ah, yes, Ferngate,” Magnus said, taking in their strawberry blonde hair and matching brown eyes, the Ferngate’s. Some of their family members had been at the heart of the Seelie debacle, there was a lot of them. They had been sent all over the world, breaking them up. “Very well, you are both dismissed, please see yourselves out,” he said, glaring at them when they looked around the room, both of their gazes landing on Alec before they scuttled out of the room at the look he was aiming their way.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to ask for your help” Magnus began, repeating the words he had spoken ten times over in the last three days. “I am aware of the reason you are all at this institute, I am not here to cart you all off to the Gard,” he said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture when they all started shifting uncomfortably, staring around at one another. “You are all here either because you have found your mates within the downworld or because you are the parabatai of somebody that has,” he said.

“Don't even think about it,” Alec said, raising a shield around his mate and glaring at them all over his shoulder. He watched as most of them clutched daggers and seraph blades, a couple of growls or whines ringing through the room. It was obvious from the way their gazes darted around that they were surprised that the others in the room were there for the same reason as themselves. For all the talk of gossip, they didn't communicate with each other very well. “Neither of us is here to harm you or take you into custody, we have come for your help, so put your weapons away” he hissed out at them. They had gotten the same reaction at each place they had visited. The sight of them clutching weapons as they glared at his Alpha grated on every one of his protective instincts.

“This is my mate, Alexander” Magnus said, taking a moment to observe them as his statement sank in. He saw the two dozen sets of eyes dart to his neck, the way their mouths gaped open and the looks of incredulity on their faces before continuing. “We haven't mated, but we want to change that. Jia has allowed us to travel between institutes, to visit with all shadowhunters that have had to reject their mates, to ask for your votes in a proposed change to the law that forbids us from mating downworlders” he said, holding his hands up when he saw the questions on their faces, the wild hope flashing in thirteen sets of eyes and looks of shock on the remaining ten.

“Please, just listen. We will get to your questions in a moment” Magnus said. “Alexander and I along with another pair have been portaling to institutes around the world over the last three days, asking the same thing of the shadowhunters there, that when the time comes to propose the change, that you all vote yes. We need a sixty/forty majority in our favour. Judging by the number of people we have met with, we estimate that by the time we visit the rest, about a third of the clave are supposed to be mated to downworlders” he said, watching the looks of shock spread across their faces.

“Along with their parabatai, if we can count on your votes, we estimate about half of all shadowhunters will vote yes,” Alec said, glancing at the parabatai of the unmated shadowhunters. “So far each of the parabatai we have spoken to have agreed that they will vote yes, is this something you are willing to do for your friends?” he asked.

“My name is Helen Blackthorn, I will vote yes, for my parabatai, my brother, Mark,” Helen said, gesturing to the broken looking man next to her. “My brother deserves to be with his mate, it makes no difference to me who he is mated to, as long as he is happy,” she said, taking her brother's hand in a quick squeeze.

“And the rest of you?” Magnus asked, smiling when they all nodded, murmuring similar sentiments to Helen’s. “I won't ask what your votes will be, I would vote a thousand times yes just to be able to spend a moment with Alexander,” he said to the unmated shadowhunters in the room. “There is no guarantee that we will be able to get this law changed, we didn't come here to get your hopes up, but we are trying as hard as we can,” he said.

“What can we do to help?” Mark asked, unable to squash down the fluttering of his stomach. “If there is anything we can do that will make the smallest bit of difference, we will do it,” he said earnestly, several others agreeing with him.

“You can speak to your families, your friends,” Magnus said, taking note of the fear that filled their eyes. “Talk to those you trust and ask them to vote yes. I know it is terrifying but if we do not make this change we will all suffer, trust me, I've seen the damage for myself” he said with a shudder.

“This law is old, Magnus. Not everyone will agree” Helen said cautiously, her eyes darting to Alec before settling back on Magnus. “Sometimes, change can be scary,” she said.

“We don't need everyone, we just need enough” Magnus said. He thought about the fact that they had gotten through the easy part. They had visited the institutes he had already reformed, but there where still another twenty that he hadn't been sent to. If the numbers continued the way they already had and they could also get friends and families of the unmated shadowhunters then they would have enough. But they still needed to visit the wilder institutes, the ones were his mate would not be protected by the agreements he had set up, or even welcome. The thought had him shuddering, he was caught between a rock and a hard place, if they didn't go there, they might not get the numbers they needed but it meant taking his Omega into danger, intentionally.

Alec rubbed soothing circles into his Alphas back when he heard the rumble in his chest, his heart stuttering in his chest just at that small contact. It had a wave of desire flaring up in him, the feeling disappearing as quickly as it had come but not before it stole the breath from his lungs.

“None of you has to do this, it is your decision to make,” Alec said when he had gotten his breathing under control, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to reveal how much he actually knew of their law. As much as the downworld was counting on him, he would not reveal it to any of them either, they would find out if they succeeded but none of them would hear it from him or his family. “But the consequences of us not succeeding are dire. It will go a long way towards ending this ridiculous war between our people. And all of our happiness depends on it” he said, breathing a sigh of relief at the determined look on each and every face in the room.

“Thank you, all of you,” Magnus said, his tone conveying the depth of his gratitude at their bravery. They would all be terrified of revealing their secret, the threat of being reported very real but they were willing to take a chance and that was all he could ask for. “I will have to tell Clary and Jace the details of this meeting but they are trustworthy and they will have strict instructions not to breathe a word of this to anyone else,” he said, a tight smile on his face for the scared but determined expressions on there faces. “Dismissed,” he said, watching as they made their way from the room, talking quietly in small groups.

“Can we go home soon?” Alec asked. The need to be in his own space was almost overwhelming enough to bring a tear to his eyes. He fought it back without success. He blinked up at his Alpha, his vision blurring before the tears fell. He leaned into Magnus’ touch when he brought his hand up to cup his face.

“Soon, love” Magnus whispered, brushing his mate's tears from his warm face. He took Alec in his arms, holding him tightly as he cried, not knowing what to do. He didn't understand his Omegas need to go home or where the tears had come from. He felt awful though. “We just need to explain to Clary and Jace then we can leave, we’ll be home soon. How does a movie and pizza on the couch sound? We can even get your blankets if you want” he asked, brushing his fingers up and down his omegas back when Alec nodded into his shoulder, inhaling his beautiful scent. He was so caught up in the overwhelming scent he didn't notice when the door opened.

“Sorry, should we give you a moment?” Clary asked when she entered the room, Jace, just behind her, and saw Magnus and Alec wrapped around each other. She felt as though they were intruding. Her nostrils flared slightly as she took in the scent in the room, sandalwood, Jasmine and musk with an overtone of Omega. It was strong, the thought only made her feel even sorrier for the pair.

“biscuit, I… didn't see you there,” Magnus said, taking in the flush on his mates face when they broke apart. He pushed Alec behind him, wanting to hide him from her, even if her mate followed her into the room. “And Jace, I hear congratulations are in order?” he asked, squashing his protective instincts down and stepping forward to shake Jace’ hand.

“Don't touch him!” Clary snarled, pulling her mate back behind her and baring her teeth at Magnus. She watched every movement when he snatched his hand back, taking a step back from her. She fought her instincts to rip his arm off as she blocked as much of her Omega from the Alphas gaze as her tiny frame allowed. It took a moment of hard breathing for her to get control of herself, having to remind herself that Magnus was no threat to Jace or their baby. “Magnus, I'm sorry, I'm a little protective of them at the moment,” she said as calmly as she could.

“I should have thought, that was careless of me, please forgive me,” Magnus said. “How are you feeling Jace? Is your pregnancy going well?” he asked his own breathing a little erratic.

“I feel fat, my ankles have turned to cankles and I feel supremely unattractive,” Jace said, a look that said it was an unfamiliar feeling to him on his face. “Apart from that, excellent," he said, smiling when Magnus laughed. “Are you going to introduce us to your mate?” he asked, eyeing the other Omega.

“How…?” Magnus shook his head at the look on clary’s face. Her raised eyebrow and smirk said everything. “You were always far too astute for my liking, Clarrisa. This Is Alexander, my mate. Alexander, this is Jace Wayland, Clary's mate” he said, making the introduction. His chest tightened when Alec stepped from behind him to shake hands with Jace.

“Hi, nice to meet you. How far along are you?” Alec couldn't help asking by way of greeting when he shook hands with the pregnant shadowhunter. He gazed at the slight bulge of his stomach under his tight t-shirt with glowing eyes, not realising his glamour had fallen away.

“Almost two months, I was joking about the swollen ankles but I heard that's a thing,” Jace said as he rubbed his hand over the extra padding around his abdomen. It wasn't really a bump but he was starting to fill out slightly. “Cool eyes!” he said as he looked up at the warlocks light grey eyes, they where the colour of clouds after a thunderstorm passed, he noted the way they darkened slightly as his eyes tightened before they returned to the lighter colour, cool! “There's not much there yet but you can have a feel if you like,” he said, watching the longing roll through Alec's eyes.

“Are… you, are you… sure?” Alec asked, placing his hand on Jace's stomach when he nodded. He felt a deep-seated need when he felt the man’s stomach, the need to feel the same thing, a growing life under his own skin. The thought had him tearing up again.

Magnus and Clary watched their mates with glowing eyes, both of them surprised that they weren't pulling them apart. They had both been extremely wary of letting anyone near their Omegas lately. Maybe that was the reason, that they were both Omegas or maybe they felt that the other man was no threat to their mate. Clary's gut clenched a little when she saw the hand resting over her child but she squashed it down, not wanting to interrupt. It was only natural that Alec wanted to feel the life growing inside her mate, what with his impending heat. His scent was a lot stronger than when he had first entered the institute.

Alec saw Jace's eyes dart to the chocolate bar he held, the contents of the wrapper completely melted from his sweaty palm. He clutched it tighter when he saw the longing in the man's eyes. He didn't want to share it. He knew it was selfish, deep down, but it was a gift from his Alpha. He clicked his fingers, producing another one and gave it to Jace, smiling when his eyes lit up, secretly glad that he didn't have to share his own.

“Thanks, bro” Jace mumbled around the mouthful of chocolate he had stuffed in his mouth. “You wouldn't believe how hungry you get when you're eating for two,” he said, laughing when the warlock conjured another. “I can see you and me getting along just fine” he mumbled.

“So, care to share the reason you are here?” Clary asked as she watched her mate stuff his face. She turned to stare at Magnus when he explained everything that had happened since he had met Alec, clutching Jace’s hand when he wandered over and took hers to listen to what Magnus was saying. “You will have my vote, my mates too,” she said when Jace agreed with her “you deserve to be happy, Magnus. You've spent so long giving, it's about time you got your own happiness” she said.

“Thank you, Clary,” Magnus said as he sat down, pulling Alec onto his lap. He inhaled Alec's scent again, frowning when he realised it was getting stronger. He could feel how warm Alec was through his clothing, maybe he was coming down with something? He wondered, feeling Alec's sweaty forehead.

“Do you have a plan?” Clary asked, staring at the chocolate bar in Alec's hand.

“Um, yeah, I just told you the plan,” Magnus said, his confusion mashing his eyebrows down into a thin line. “We've been portaling…”

“I mean for Alec's heat, obviously you two can't mate yet,” Clary said, sadness tingeing her tone. “Have you discussed what you are going to do?” she asked.

“My… heat?” Alec asked, staring at the shadowhunter when her words floated into his foggy brain, the scent of his Alpha sending him a little scatty. His scent clinging to his clothing would do nicely, a small part of his brain thought.

“Of course, that's a nesting gift if ever I saw one,” Clary said, inwardly smiling when Alec tried to hide the chocolate from view, he looked as though he was waiting for her to snatch it off him. Jace had been exactly the same when he had been nesting, that had been a shock to the system! She thought with a rueful grin.

“I'm not nesting,” Alec said at the same time that Magnus asked what exactly nesting was. “An Omega only nests when they go into heat,” he said. He remembered how crazy Izzy had been when she had been nesting when she had met Simon, he wasn't doing that, was he?

“Really? So your Alpha didn't present that to you like he was giving you the world?” she asked Alec, remembering the urges she had had to provide for Jace. She turned on Magnus when Alec just nodded. “Tell me, has your mate been acting odd over the last few days? Absentmindedly collecting your scent? Filling his bedroom or closet with soft blankets and pillows and clothes that carry your scent, your combined scents? Has he been clingy? Grumpy? Shovelling food down like a fat kid at an all you can eat buffet to store enough fat to get him through his heat? Defending his home from other people and the scents that might interfere with his space? Once an Omega meets their Alpha, they start nesting before their heats, the proximity of a viable mate sending their hormones into overdrive” she said to Magnus, shaking her head when he looked at her with his mouth gaping open. Had no one ever talked to him about it before? She remembered sadly that his family had died when he was young, maybe nobody had ever explained it to him.

“Has your Alpha been ultra protective of you?” Clary asked Alec. “has he been bringing you gifts and feeding you? Has he kept everyone away from you, especially other Alpha's? Been more tactile than usual, using small touches to soothe you?” she asked. “I went through the same thing with Jace a few months ago, my instincts pushing me to protect my Omega and provide for him,” she said, giving Jace’s hand a small squeeze when he nodded with a grin.

“But… but” Alec stuttered, thinking over the last few days, thinking of the flowers and the food his mate had bought him. The small gifts like the chocolate bar and the new blanket and pyjamas he had brought him when they had gone shopping in Paris before moving on to Ontario the day before. He pulled the small pebble out of his pocket, the lopsided heart shaped pebble Magnus had found on the ground outside the Melbourne Institute, he had insisted on washing it first, but then he had presented it to him, a small hopeful smile on his face when he had handed it to him. “I can't be going into heat though, I took my potio… fuck!” he muttered, his face draining of blood as he started counting.

“What? what is it, love?” Magnus asked, panicking when his mates face turned white. He watched his Omegas lips move as he quietly muttered to himself. “Alexander, what is it?” he asked, clutching Alec tighter to him.

“I forgot to take my potion. It had been so hectic, with orders at the store… I forgot it. I only took it two weeks ago” he said, staring down into Magnus’ eyes as panic started to take over him. His stomach tightened at the thought. He had completely forgotten, what with everything that had happened over the last two weeks, that he had taken it late.

“Fuck, Olivia the warlock’s heat potion?” Magnus asked. “One of the omegas at the institute has been getting a potion from a warlock to suppress his heats. He said you have to take it a month before your heat or it doesn't work. Is it the same one?” he asked when his mate looked at him with a question on his face.

“Yes, Olivia is my niece, shes David's sister,” Alec said, realising that with everything that had happened, he hadn't had a chance to introduce them. He felt a little bit guilty that he hadn't even thought to mention her, so wrapped up in his own problems. “I invented that potion, I've never been able to get it to work faster than a month though. I didn't know she was selling it to shadowhunters though, it sounds like her, she is a carbon copy of her dad, always wanting to help people” he said.

“Fuck,” Magnus said. What were they supposed to do? “Alexander, wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?” he asked when Alec jumped up from his lap.

“I… I need, I need to… go home” Alec said, wanting to run away from the problem and hide in his bed. His nest he realised with a start, thinking of the piles of clothes and blankets he had covered his room and bed in, how could he have not realised? He created a portal, not realising that Magnus was hot on his heels as he dove into it, needing to get home where he could hide, where he was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter ungh!!!!! What are they going to do? 
> 
> For those of you that don't follow me on twitter I have a little announcement that I will leave in the notes on the next chapter (evil grin, smug smirk, filthy glint in my eye)


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heloooooo! first of all, I have a small announcement for those of you that don't follow me on twitter. I will be doing a 30 day OTP Malec smut challenge on here. I need 30 chapters for 30 days so I want your kinks for our boys. it can be anything at all from holding hands too full on, balls deep debauchery. BDSM, water sports, bladder control, group sex, anything you want. if you want to read it, i want to write it! this is your chance to see Malec perform your deepest, darkest fantasies. The only thing I will NOT write is r*pe. ANYTHING else goes!!!
> 
> you can @ me on twitter @AtowmcaledMalec you can leave a message on here or you can email me at mariasavillecullen@hotmail.co.uk (don't laugh, I was going through a twilight phase and it's too much of a pain in the arse to change) all requests will be anonymous unless you want credits. obviously, I'm not shy so don't be embarrassed to say what you like, you would be surprised if you found out what I'm into... or maybe not wink wink.
> 
> also, please don't belittle other peoples kinks when I write them, if it is not something you are into simply move onto the next chapter. thanks all and please enjoy the 12k word chapter, my longest yet! i love you all x

“Alexander, wait” Magnus called as he stumbled out of the portal into Alec's apartment. He tried to grab his mates arm but he just kept on running. He followed Alec through the living area and into his bedroom, watching as he jumped into his bed and pulled the covers up over his head, not uttering a word. He looked around the room, taking in the piles of clothes and the strong smell of their mingled scents, it all finally made sense! He walked over to the bed and crawled beneath the covers.

“Are you mad at me?” Alec asked, just able to see a vague outline under the mass of blankets. “I swear, I didn't do it on…”

“Alexander, of course I’m not mad at you, you haven't done anything wrong, love,” Magnus said, pulling Alec in and wrapping himself around his warlock, his warlock who's scent had intensified beyond anything Magnus had smelled from him. Raziel! He smelled wonderful! “Why would you think I was mad at you?” he whispered in Alec's ear, feeling the heat radiating from him. Shit!

“You were angry” Alec whispered back, wanting to cry at the fucked up situation. He hadn't had a heat in over seventy years! He had finally found his Alpha and he couldn't even have him, couldn't go through his heat with his Alpha, it wasn't fair! “I completely forgot that I had taken it late, I’m sorry” he mumbled through his tears, inhaling deeply as he tried to calm himself, his Alpha smelled so good! He couldn't stop himself from skimming his nose up Magnus’ neck, losing himself in the scent.

“You did nothing wrong, it wasn't your fault, my darling,” Magnus said breathlessly, the combination of Alec running his nose up the length of his neck and that glorious scent was stealing his breath. “Never apologise for who or what you are, Alexander. You are an Omega, Omegas go into heat. If you hadn't invented that potion we would be dealing with this anyway. I have a question though, this nesting, I don't know much about it, didn't you know what was happening?” he asked.

“I wasn't thinking, it’s an instinctual thing, I didn't even notice what I was doing. An Omega doesn't nest until they meet their Alpha, I’ve never been through it before” Alec said, another wave of guilt slamming through him, quickly followed by a wave of desire when his nose hovered over the scent glands in his mate's neck. He tried his best to squash it down but it was calling to him, to every cell of his body. It had every one of his instincts screaming at him to offer himself up to the Beautiful Alpha, his beautiful Alpha! It took everything he had not to let his tongue dart out, knowing he couldn't have him. “Magnus, you have to go, my heat is starting, right now. We both know that we will mate if you stay” he said, forcing the words from his lips, he knew without a doubt that neither of them would be able to stop themselves from mating.

“I cant just leave you like this” Magnus said, holding his mate to him. He could feel the heat radiating in waves from Alec. “Alexander, are you okay, you're burning up,” he said, pulling the covers from over their heads to look at Alec. He let go of him when Alec sat up and started tugging his jacket off, he was drenched!

“It's been so long since I've had a heat, Magnus, you have to leave, please” Alec begged, the words coming from him at complete odds with his body. It was practically screaming for the Alpha, for his presence, the commanding tone of his voice, for the protected feeling he felt when he was with him and for his knot. “Please, Magnus, just leave, I won't be able to control myself for much longer,” Alec said. He launched himself from the bed, a whine ripping from him when Magnus reached out to him.

“Alexander… I… “ Magnus didn't know what to do. The scent his mate was giving off was too much, almost short-circuiting his brain. Seeing his mate running away from him like that, backing away, was calling to the most basic part of him, the part that was screaming at him to chase the Omega who smelt so enticing, to chase him and claim him. The scared look on his face as he backed into the corner, pulling at his clothes, however, was screaming at him to protect his mate. To do anything in his power to protect him and wipe his fears away.

“Please, Magnus, please just go” Alec whispered in a broken sob. Even as the tears dripped down his face, he couldn't help but pull his drenched top off. Almost screaming when the cold air hit his over sensitive skin. The fact that Magnus was his Alpha was making it worse, it wasn't just the need to be dominated and Knotted by an Alpha, it was the need for HIS Alpha. His body wanted what went with HIS alphas knot, his hormones and body screaming out to be bred. Everything in him was telling him he was ready to be a father, that he needed it, needed to feel a child of his own inside of him. It wasn't just his body, he had wanted a family of his own for so long. The thought turned the blood in his veins to ice. He hadn't taken a contraceptive potion. He hadn't needed to until he had met Magnus and now it was too late.

The sight of his mate crying in the corner, the sweat pouring from him, was ripping Magnus in two. He wanted to pull him in close, to hold him while he cried. He needed to protect him from the whole fucked up situation. He rose to his feet, his instincts pushing him into taking a step forward before Alec whined. The sound grated on his ears, he shouldn't have to make that sound! It had a frustrated growl rumbling through him. He couldn't do anything to help him. The thought had him scrubbing his hands violently through his hair as he stared helplessly at his mate.

“Magnus, you have to leave, now. If we mate, I haven't taken a contraceptive potion, I could get pregnant” Alec said, trying desperately to keep the longing from his voice, they hadn't even discussed children, what if Magnus didn't want kids? His misery only got worse when he saw the longing look on his mates face. He slammed into the wall when Magnus took another step forward, having nowhere else to go. His skin was itching with every step Magnus took towards him, his heart beating furiously in his chest felt like it was going to burst. He could feel his will slipping away with every step, he needed to stop it, before he couldn't “GET OUT, you're torturing me, Magnus, I already want you and my heat is just making it a hundred time worse” he screamed.

His mate's words had Magnus stopping in his tracks, a shudder running up his spine. He was torturing his mate? It had him taking a step back. “Alexander, I… I don't know what…” he took another step forward, a wave of desire at the strong scent of his mate and his instincts pushing him forward, pushing him towards his sobbing mate. Until he saw the fear on Alec's face, he looked terrified. What was he doing? He was hurting his mate, scaring him. The thought ripped through him, tearing away his own need and pushing what alec needed to the forefront of his mind. That look of fear on his face was the only thing that could turn him away. 

Magnus slammed his eyes shut and spun around, darting out the door when his mate screamed at him to leave again. He ran through the apartment, darting out of the door and down the stairs, having to force himself, even now the scent of his mate in heat was following him, calling out to the Alpha in him. He wrenched the store door open and darted through it, slamming it closed behind him.

His breath stuttered out when he heard the lock turning in the door. He dragged much-needed air into his lungs, not even realising he had been holding his breath until his chest screamed at him. He couldn't stop the tears from falling, his mate was suffering and he couldn't even help him.

Alec locked the front door with a weak wave of his hand when he heard it slam closed. He collapsed to the floor, his chest heaving from the sobs that flooded out of him. He knew it was for the best but it didn't stop the pain from ripping through him. He dragged himself to his bed, heaving himself up and collapsed onto it, curling himself into a ball as he sobbed. The need inside him was a physical pain knifing through him. It only got worse when he realised it wasn't only sweat that was drenching him. He had started producing slick too. 

He screamed into his pillow when just the thought of it had waves of need and desire crashing through him in droves. He needed his Alphas knot, badly. He cursed himself for not taking his potion in time, crying harder when he thought of the fact that this was just the beginning, he had three more days of this torture. He dragged the blankets around himself, not caring that he was drenched in sweat, the only thing he could think about was the beautiful scent that clung to them, his Alpha’s scent. He took deep breaths, trying without much success to calm himself.

Magnus bolted up the street, the air that was free of his mate's scent rushing into his lungs and clearing his head, breaking through the desire that had been rushing through him and letting him think clearly. 

He skidded to a stop at the corner of the street. A shudder running down his spine and stealing the strength from his legs had him falling to his knees. He couldn't take another step. He wanted to scream, his hatred for the situation and the clave and the law compounding into one defiant thought, Fuck the clave. Fuck them and their shitty law. He was running away again, leaving his mate and walking away when he had promised not to. He had promised Alexander that he would stay, that he would prove himself to him and here he was, running away because the clave demanded it. Because they got to decide his happiness and dictate who he could and couldn't mate. 

Fuck that, his mate was suffering and he was running away and leaving him to deal with it, to fend for himself at the worst possible time. Fuck that and fuck them. They didn't get to decide this, not for him and not for his mate. He wanted him, he wanted it all, the family, the children that they would have, the life that they would make and his mate wanted it too. He had spent his entire life giving everything he had to the clave. Every decision and action over the last ten years had been dictated by them. He had given up everything, a permanent home, the chance to have proper friends instead of acquaintances, his blood, sweat and tears and had almost given up his future for them and they wanted to take this away from him? Not fucking happening! 

He lurched to his feet and spun on his heel to run back up the street. He skidded to a stop outside of the store, yanking on the door handle before he remembered that Alec had locked it. He started hammering on the door, not caring if he woke any of the inhabitants of the apartments above the other stores. “Alexander, let me in” he shouted, banging on the door again. He pulled his stele out, using the unlocking rune on the door and yanking on it. It wouldn't budge. He tried again and again but it wouldn't work. Fuck! His mates magic was strong! He started banging again.

The pounding on the front door cut through Alec's sobs, stopping his breathing. His head snapped around, his eyes darting to the window. He heard Magnus shouting outside, the sound of his voice cutting through the misery sawing away at his stomach and sending another wave of desire through him. He shuddered when the sound of it had another wave of slick leaking from him. He stood up on shaky legs, feeling dizzy from the rush of air when he inhaled and shuffled to the window to look down onto the street. Magnus! He pushed down the need rising up in him when he saw his Alpha.

“Alexander, I know you can hear me, let me in” Magnus shouted, banging on the door. He looked up, catching a shadow moving back from the window, his mate. “Alexander, let me in” he shouted again.

Alec desperately wanted to let him in. he wanted it more than anything, not just because of his heat but because he was his mate, the love of his life and as much as he wanted his knot, he wanted his love and the safety of being in his arms more. Why was he here? He moved back to the window, opening it when Magnus continued to bang on the door. “Magnus, what are you doing?” he called down when he had the courage to stick his head out of the window. Fuck, he looked so good! He had to force the wave of desire down when it ripped through him.

“Alexander, let me in” Magnus shouted when he saw his mate. “I cant leave you. I promised I wouldn't leave you. You are my Omega and I am your Alpha. I won't leave you, not again, I love you too much. I am staying” he shouted.

Alec's heart constricted at the words Magnus had spoken but he shut it down, he couldn't mate him. “You cant, the clave…”

“Fuck the clave, you are my mate, not them” Magnus shouted. “I don't give a fuck anymore. I have put them first, time and time again and let them rule my life. They don't get to decide for us, not this. They have been making my decisions for me my whole life but this is my choice. And if that choice is between them and you then I choose you, every time” he said, staring up at his mate.

“And you think my heat should make that decision instead?” Alec shouted down, tears welling up again as the need for his Alpha ripped through him once more. “It is affecting your hormones as much as it is mine. Your instincts are telling you to take me. I can't let you do something you will regret because my scent is addling your brain” he shouted down, snapping every word out while his brain screamed at him to shut up.

“I can't even smell you down here, Alexander,” Magnus said, pacing beneath the window. “And I would never regret mating you, you are my life, my future, the happiness that I never thought I would find and I will not give you up. Push past your instincts and your heat and tell me you don't want me” he shouted up.

“Of course I want you, but we cant always have what we… what are you doing?” Alec shouted, his voice rising in alarm when he saw his alpha grip hold of the drainpipe and start to climb “Magnus, stop”

Magnus shimmied up the drainpipe, climbing as fast as he could, using the rubber grip on his boots to propel him up the wall faster. If his mate wouldn't open the door he would go in through the window! He stared at his mate when he climbed onto the windowsill, stopping when Alec backed away. 

“I love you, Alexander. It has nothing to do with your heat” Magnus said, looking his mate in the eye. “You are everything I ever dreamed of whenever I thought of my mate. You are funny and kind and you care so much for others. You are beautiful inside and out, you have the heart of an angel and the mouth of a demon. You stand up for what is right and you take no shit while you are doing it. I want you, I want our future and I want to be the father of your children. The thought of living another day without being mated to you tears me apart, Alexander so let me in, because I couldn't walk away from you if I tried, I couldn't even make it to the end of the street. Will you make me the happiest man alive and mate me?” he asked, breathing hard but filled with a peace he never thought he would find. Alexander was his mate and that was all there was to it.

Alec blinked away the tears that had been steadily dripping down his face. He stared at his mate, his conflicting emotions pulling him in a thousand different directions. He had never wanted anything as much as he wanted Magnus Bane. But his need to protect him was trying to override those feelings. His heat was driving him insane but he couldn't risk his mates life for it. His entire body shook with indecision, the conflicting emotions twisting his stomach.

“Don't overthink it, Alexander. Do you want me? Do you want to be my mate?” Magnus asked, staring longingly at the sweaty, dishevelled, tear-stained, beautiful man before him.

“Yes, I want it more than I want to breathe,” Alec said, the words coming out in a whisper. “But I can't mate you, how can I say I love you if I let you risk your life for me? That's not love, it is selfishness. I can't let you…”

“You are my life, Alexander. What is the point of living if I don't have you?” Magnus interjected. “It isn't selfish. The fact that you are willing to suffer for that stupid law is the most selfless thing you could do. It is our turn, love. It's our turn for happiness, if that makes us selfish then so be it. I won't let them take this away from us. Will you take me as your mate, Alexander?” he asked.

Alec stared at his mate. He saw the decision in his eyes, the determined, yearning look on his face. He searched every inch of it, pushing his own desire and longing aside to really look at him. He saw the future they could have and he wanted it badly. He took a step forward, terror stealing his breath but the love pouring from his Alphas face giving him the strength to push it down. 

The first step broke something in Alec, pushing him to take another then another. He stared into Magnus’ eyes, seeing the hope flashing in them and found the courage to take that last step. He took Magnus’ face in his hands, his heart stuttering in his chest as he searched his eyes. He pressed his lips to his Alphas, tears streaming down his face as he took his future, his love into his hands and gave into the desperate longing inside him, the longing he had lived with for so long. “Yes,” he whispered against his mates lips before sinking into the kiss.

Magnus almost lost his balance when he wrapped his arms around his Omega. He gripped him tight when Alec caught him, pulling him into the room. He picked him up, breathing hard through his nose when Alec wrapped his legs around his waist. Gripping him under his thighs, he deepened the kiss, pushing into his mouth as he carried Alec over to the bathroom, feeling how hot he was. As much as he wanted to take his beautiful mate, he needed to cool him off first. The need to look after his mate pushed past the waves of desire his scent had crashing through him. He set Alec down on his feet and broke from the kiss.

“You need to cool off, love” Magnus said when a distressed whine broke from his mate. He pushed the plug into the clawfoot tub and ran the water, filling the bath with tepid water. 

“I… don't… I want…” Alec didn't want a bath, he wanted skin contact with his mate. The need for it pushed him at Magnus once more. He pulled himself in close, wrapping his arms around his Alphas neck and claimed his lips, swirling his tongue into his mate's mouth. His brain was screaming yes when Magnus' hands came around his waist, pulling him closer, bringing every inch of their bodies together. He stopped breathing when he felt another wave of slick pour from him, the sensations tingling from his lips pushing his sensitive body to produce more.

“Fuck!” Magnus muttered against Alec's lips when he scented his mates slick. The scent called to his base instincts, screaming at him that his Omega was ready for him, that he was ready to be taken. He squashed it down, even when Alec's hands started wandering down his chest. “Alexander, I promise, I'm all yours in a moment but you need to cool off first, you're too hot,” he said. He pulled his mate's trousers off and lifted him into the bath, staring down into his bright silver eyes when a whine grated from Alec's mouth when he set him down. He saw the need on his face, the need for contact. He stood and quickly pulled his own clothes off before climbing into the bath behind his mate. Fuck, the water was freezing to him but he knew it was what Alec needed so he sucked it up.

“Thank you, my love” Alec whispered as he leaned back into his Alpha. The feeling of skin to skin contact was what he needed desperately. He sighed with relief when he felt every inch of his Alphas body pressed against him. The cool water was like heaven on his red-hot body. He turned the taps off with a wave of his hand when it was chest deep, sinking into Magnus’ touch when he picked the sponge up and used it to pour the cool water over his neck and chest.

Magnus couldn't help but press a kiss to his mate's neck when he tilted his head to the side, he smelled so good! He fought off the shiver running through him from the cold water and continued to soak his mate down, running the sponge over his shoulders and forehead, his heart beating furiously at the blissed-out moans coming from Alec.

“You have no idea how good that feels” Alec moaned. He ran his fingers up and down Magnus’ legs where they lay on either side of him, inhaling his scent. He wanted him more than he wanted air, even in the cool water his dick was hard. The feeling of his mate's skin beneath his fingers, pressed to his back, moulded to the sides of his thighs was producing a steady flow of slick, his body begging to be taken by his Alpha. The thought had his breathing turning shallow, his lungs straining as his desire for Magnus ratcheted up another couple of hundred notches.

“You smell so good, your scent, it is intoxicating, Alexander” Magnus growled out, unable to help the gravelly tone of his voice. He watched the tone take a hold of his mate, his eyes slamming shut when Alec shuddered. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mate's chest when Alec shifted against him, leaning in and rubbing his body against him, forgetting the sponge all together as his hips shifted forward of their own accord. Fuck! He wanted his Omega, wanted to push him down and claim him, to mark him as his, to sink into his perfect body and lose himself in his mate. 

“Magnus… I… fuck, I need… you” Alec gasped out. The sound of his Alphas heavy breathing, right next to his ear was too much. He couldn't stop himself from grinding backwards when he felt the hot breath brushing over the scent glands in his neck, he was already too far gone from Magnus’ tone.

“You're still too hot, love,” Magnus growled, unaware of his hands trailing down his mates stomach. “We need to cool yo…”

“This is as cool as I am going to get” Alec breathed, tilting his head further, baring his neck to his mate. The lust fogging his brain was pushing him to submit to the beautiful Alpha that was wrapped around him. He dropped his head back onto Magnus’ shoulder when he felt his lips on the skin of his throat, a low moan ripping from him when he felt Magnus’ tongue lick at his neck. He needed it, needed him to sink his teeth in when Magnus grazed them along his skin. He disentangled himself from his Alpha and stood up, the need to be in his bed, to be claimed by his Alpha pushing his actions. “Come and get me” he whispered, the Omega in him rushing to the forefront. He jumped out of the bath and darted from the room.

“Fuck!” Magnus muttered before his brain completely shut down. The alpha in him took over as he launched himself from the bath and went after his Omega. The chase, as short as it was, consumed him. He ran from the bathroom and darted across his mate's bedroom, pouncing on him as he made it to the bed. They went down in a heap, rolling across the huge bed to come to a stop with him on top of his mate, pinning him to the bed.

“Alexander… I… I'm sorry” Magnus stuttered out when his brain cleared a little, he was gripping his mate way too hard, he could see Alec's wrists turning white where he gripped them. He let go, trying to climb off his mate before Alec grabbed him.

“I need it, Magnus, please” alec begged, looking up at his Alpha. The need to be dominated, to be pushed down and claimed was primal. It coursed through his veins, pushing a whine from him as he bared his neck, his eyes darting down, unable to Look the Alpha in the eye. “I need it, I need the ALPHA tone, I need to feel every inch of you pressing me down. I need you to claim me, take me, Alpha, don't hold back, please” he begged, his ass leaking slick down his legs and pooling beneath him just from the thought.

Magnus didn't know if it was the whine from his mate, the way he bared his neck and avoided eye contact, the words he spoke or the scent of his slick that had him pushing Alec down into the mattress. He couldn't care less as the alpha in him took over again. He dropped down onto his mate “Open your legs” he growled, the ALPHA in his tone reaching out and wrapping around his mate. He pushed in between his mate's legs when they fell open, a low moan falling from Alec's lips.

A shudder ran through Alec at his Alphas tone, he needed it badly, to be commanded. He dropped his legs open instantly, throwing his head back when Magnus took both of his hands in a tight grip with one of his own and pushed them up above his head. His hips jerked when he felt Magnus’ fingers reach down between their bodies and flutter over his cock and balls to search out his ass. He tilted his hips, angling them to give him better access.

“The scent of your dripping asshole makes me want to fuck you until you cant walk” Magnus growled as his fingers teased the skin around his mate's hole. “Look at me,” he said. He brought his slicked up fingers up to his mouth and took them inside when Alec's eyes darted up to look at him, his eyes glowing brighter as he watched “you taste so good” he moaned, pressing his fingers to his mates lips, growling in approval when Alec opened up. “See how good you taste, my pretty Omega” he whispered.

Alec could barely breathe. His breath stuttered out in short gasps when he tasted himself, the praise from his Alpha only making him leak more. His eyes slammed shut when a low growl rumbled from his mate's chest. His hips started to jerk at the feelings rushing through him, wanting to be fucked and claimed.

“Open your eyes, I want to see those silvers when I fuck you” Magnus growled when Alec's hips started to buck. He pulled his fingers from Alec's mouth and reached down again. He kept his eyes glued to his mate’s as his fingers searched his hole out once more. He brushed lazy circles around the soaking skin of his mates fluttering asshole, not quite sinking in but pressing with enough pressure to have Alec bucking his hips forward, trying to take the finger into him. He pulled his finger back from his mates hole each time “ask for it, Alexander, I want to hear you” he commanded his Omega.

“Please, please bury your fingers in my ass. I need it Alpha, Please” Alec begged desperately, too far gone to care about the whiny tone he was using. He glanced up at his mate through his lashes, begging with his eyes to be fucked. “I need you to fuck me with your fingers, please” he begged.

Magnus pushed a finger straight into his mate's ass when he heard the tone of his voice as he begged. It had the Alpha in him glowing. “So ready for me,” he said when he sank in with ease, the moan coming from Alec shooting to his already hard dick. He pushed a second finger in, swiftly followed by a third when he realised his Omega could take it. Fuck! He didn't even need to open him up. He sped up the motion of his hand, fucking into his mate as a litany of curses fell from Alec's lips. “I said keep your eyes open” Magnus growled, holding still when he saw Alec's eyes slammed closed.

“Please, Magnus” Alec gasped out, his eyes springing open to gaze up at his mate. He frantically moved his hips, needing the friction. “Please fuck me, I need you” he begged, pleading desperately for something, anything. He bared his neck to his alpha once more, the Omega in him forcing to submit.

“Oh, I'm going to fuck you, I am going to fuck you and I am going to claim you. Is that what you want?” Magnus growled out. He pulled his fingers from his mate's drenched ass when he nodded emphatically with wide eyes. His mates stuttering breath was pushing him to claim him, to sink his teeth into his scent glands. He lined his cock up with Alec's hole, rubbing it between the cleft of his cheeks to soak it in his slick.

“Yes, fuck me. Make me yours, Alpha” Alec screamed when he felt Magnus’ cock brushing against his ass, a heavy desperate feeling in the pit of his stomach as the soft skin of his cock brushed against his own oversensitive skin as he teased him. “Please, I need it, fuck me, bury that huge cock inside me, make me scream, Magnus. Take me” he urged when Magnus paused at the entrance of his asshole.

Magnus pushed into his mate, quick and hard, burying himself to the hilt. The audible slap of his balls against his mate's asscheeks and the scream that ripped from him almost had him coming then and there. He had to hold still for a moment as his foreskin scraped back, exposing the sensitive glans beneath, at the swift motion. The feeling of his mate's walls squeezing each and every inch of his cock had him seeing stars.

“YES” Alec screamed when Magnus’ hips slammed into him. He wrapped his legs around his mate's waist, angling his hips up and dug his feet into his mates back, trying to pull him further into him, not even realising it was impossible in his desperate need. “Move Magnus, please, fuck me until I scream” he begged, jerking his hips up and down in a desperate attempt to get him to move.

Magnus cupped his mates ass with his free hand to hold him steady and withdrew his hips, slamming into his Omega with a desperate need of his own. He fucked into him hard, wanting to slam his eyes closed at the sounds of his mate's screams but he couldn't look away from those beautiful silver eyes. So he stared into his mates eyes, breathing shallow breaths into his lungs, grunting with the exertion as he fucked him.

Alec paid no attention to the words pouring from him as his mate finally gave it to him. He raised his hips, meeting Magnus thrust for thrust, his screams only getting louder when Magnus changed the angle of his hips slightly so that his cock was scraping along his prostate with each thrust. He lay in a pool of sweat, his alpha ramming into his asshole, screaming his Alphas name. He had never needed anything in his life more than he needed this! “Harder” he screamed, unable to stop his eyes from slamming shut at the pleasure coursing through him.

“Alexander, open your eyes, I want to see all of you” Magnus growled as he picked up his pace. He stared down at the beautiful man he got to call his own. Even with his dripping hair in his face and the flush on his cheeks and chest, the contorted look of ecstasy on his face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He would see that look on his mates face every time he closed his eyes. He leaned down, bracing himself with one arm and kissed Alec, both of them breathing hard. He sucked his Omegas plump bottom lip into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth.

Alec moaned louder when he felt Magnus’ teeth against his lip. He yanked his hands at the grip Magnus had on them, glowing when Magnus gripped him tighter, an ALPHA growl busting from him. The feeling of his mate's cock, scraping along his prostate had his thighs shaking where they were wrapped around his waist, even as he continued to tighten them, trying to get Magnus to thrust deeper into him. As pleasurable as it was, his cock needed release. “Magnus, I'm so… close, please I need...fuck! I need to touch… myself” he gasped out, his lungs straining from the effort of trying to inhale air.

“You are going to come untouched, do you understand?” Magnus growled as he gazed down between their bodies, seeing his mates engorged cock, purple with need, leaking pre-come at a furious rate. “I want to see that pretty purple cock of yours paint my chest white, do you hear?” he asked, staring into the glowing silver eyes of his Omega. “Answer me” he demanded, watching the shudder run through him at the tone he used.

“Yes, Alpha” Alec whispered, feeling a tightening in the pit of his stomach. “Fuck, Magnus, I'm… gonna… fuck” he screamed, his breath huffing out of his screaming lungs.

“I'm going to breed you, Alexander. I'm going to fill you up, I want to watch you walking around with my babies inside you” Magnus growled as he started to slam into his mate, the pleasure of his beautiful screams was too much. He rutted into his mate, feeling his knot starting to expand with each deep thrust. “You're going to take every last drop I give you, aren't you?” he growled, the alpha in him glowing with pride when his Omega screamed yes. “Come for me, now” Magnus barked out as he slammed into his omegas prostate, stopping his movements completely as he released Alec's wrists, holding himself in place to press his cock to the most sensitive part of his mate's body.

The promise that he would breed him and the tone of his alphas command mixed with the pressure on his prostate had alecs balls tightening instantly. He grabbed hold of Magnus’ head when his wrists were released, to hold him in place as he sank his teeth into Magnus’ scent glands, screaming into his neck as his orgasm ripped through him, his cock exploding between their bodies. His screams mingled with Magnus’ as his teeth clamped down, breaking the skin on his mate's neck.

The pain of the bite Alec marked him with mixed with the pleasure of his mate's walls tightening around Magnus’ cock was the headiest experience of his life, the feeling only increased when he felt his soul settle into place as his omega claimed him. It had his knot expanding fully in an instant.

Alec screamed out when he felt his alphas knot push into him, his cock hardening again instantly as his heat ratcheted up another notch. The thick cock pushing into his stretched out asshole was what he needed more than anything. He turned his head and bared his neck to his mate, need to be claimed.

“Alexander!” Magnus roared out when he pushed his knot into his mate. He dropped his head, sinking his teeth into his mates scent glands as his cock exploded into his asshole. He screamed as his teeth sank into the soft skin, his cock pumping out wave after wave of his seed, spurting deep into his screaming Omega. He grunted into his mate's neck, his hips jerking forward with each wave of come his cock pumped out, pressing soft kisses to the mark he had left when he released his Omegas neck.

A deep shudder ran throughout Alec's entire body when he felt his soul settle into place as his Alpha claimed him. His rim being tugged with each jerk of his mates hips and his Alpha spurting into him so hard it grazed his prostate in a steady rhythm stole his breath. The sensation had his balls tightening again, his cock spraying his own and his Alphas chest, it was even more intense than the first one. “Fuuuuuck” he screamed.

“I love you, my beautiful mate. I love you so much” Magnus whispered into Alec's ear, pressing his lips to the mating mark he had left on his neck as alec came down from his orgasm. “Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I? Was that okay for you? Was I too rough?” he asked, worried that it had been too much.

“It was fucking amazing, you have no idea how much I needed that, my love,” Alec said, his eyes glowing as he looked at the angry mating mark he had left on Magnus’ neck. He couldn't help but kiss it before he raised his hand and healed it. He kissed the scar left there, a perfect indentation of his teeth that filled him with love and pride. His hips jerked as another spurt of his Alphas seed pumped into him. He was glowing at the thought of it, wanting to take every drop into him. “I love you, more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone,” he said, accepting it gladly when Magnus claimed his lips.

“As much as I love seeing that mark on your neck, it looks sore, please heal it, love,” Magnus asked as he broke from the kiss, staring at the mark on his mate's beautiful neck. He grinned when Alec raised his hand and healed the mark, leaving a double crescent scarred imprint of his teeth. He stroked his fingers over it, his heart thundering in his chest as he looked at it, beautiful! He thought to himself.

“Are you okay?” Alec asked, noting the shake of Magnus’ arms as he held himself up. He knew it would be a while before Magnus’ knot went down. He tightened his legs around his Alphas waist and twisted their bodies to roll them over, wincing as his mates dick tugged at his asshole. “Motherfucker!” he shouted as he came to land on top, straddling Magnus’ hips.

“Shit, Alexander, are you okay?” Magnus asked, his hands fluttering over Alecs back and ass, not sure what to do. He settled for rubbing soothing circles into his mate's asscheeks. He looked up at Alec, taking in the gorgeous light grey eyes, smiling at his omegas happiness. He loved that Alec dropped the glamour whenever it was just the two of them, comfortable enough to just be himself.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Maybe you can give my asshole a massage later” Alec said with a wink, grimacing when his laughing Alphas cock tugged at him again. “Magnus, are you ready for the second part of the bonding?” Alec asked nervously, hoping his mate hadn't changed his mind.

“I am so ready, I can't wait to carry a piece of you inside of me, just like I can't wait for you to carry a piece of me inside you,” Magnus said with a grin as he stroked his fingers over his Omegas abdomen, not even trying to be subtle. His grin widened when he saw a wistful, faraway look in his mates eyes as he absentmindedly rested his hand on his, interlocking their fingers and brushing their joined hands over his abdomen. “What does it look like, love?” he asked as a vision of a gang of beautiful little boys and girls floated in front of his own eyes. He imagined protective boys running around with his caramel complexion and Alec's grey eyes and sweet, badass girls teasing them relentlessly, their grey eyes flashing with mischief as they gave their brothers regular heart attacks with their antics.

“It looks perfect” Alec whispered, unknowingly watching the same scene as his mate. He squeezed Magnus’ hand in his own, a desperate longing stealing his breath, it was everything he had wanted for so long. He leaned into Magnus’ hand when he reached up to cup his face, turning into it to press a kiss to his Alphas palm. He draped himself over Magnus’ chest, snuggling into his neck.

“How many do you think we will have?” Magnus whispered against Alec's hair, kissing his forehead with a soft brush of his lips. He held Alec tightly as he thought about how many children he wanted. “I hope we have at least three of each, I only had Dot when we were growing up but I always wanted more sisters and some brothers, it would have been nice just to play, to have fun with some siblings,” he said.

“Six sounds perfect,” Alec said, grinning at the thought of so many children running around. “Don't forget, Izzy and I are twins and so are David and Olivia, imagine if we had twins!” he said excitedly, levering himself up to see the massive grin on his mates face. “Are you ready?” he asked, smiling when Magnus nodded, an eager look on his face.

Alec sat up, jerking slightly when Magnus’ cock brushed against his prostate but pushing the sensation down to concentrate. He pressed his hands to his own and his mate's chests, just above their hearts and began the extraction. He reached down into himself, sifting through all that he was, pushing past the layers of his body and his magic to brush against the essence of his being. He tugged at his soul, extracting a sliver of it with a gasp, holding that tiny piece of his life force in a magical grip, a brief, bereft feeling filling him up, as though he had lost a part of who he was, a part of his identity. 

Alec held it in place, feeling it as an almost tangible object he could hold in his hand. It was the heaviest and the lightest weight he had ever felt. He reached down into his mate, needing something to fill the colossal, gaping hole the tiny sliver had left and pushed down into his being, shiting through all the beautiful layers that made his Alpha up. A beatific, wondering smile spread across his face when he felt Magnus’ soul, almost able to physically see it. He had thought the outside of his mate was beautiful and had known he was just as beautiful on the inside but nothing had prepared him for Magnus’ soul. The effervescence of his mates life force almost stopped his heart. He had never seen or felt anything more perfect, it almost hurt just to think about how precious it was to him.

He plucked at Magnus’ soul, tugging gently so as not to damage him in any way and pulled it up through his body, noting the gasping breath that his Alpha inhaled. He smiled a peaceful smile as he kept his eyes closed, marvelling at the feeling of Magnus’ soul, held in his magical grip. He raised his left hand to his chest, the hand clutching onto the part of Magnus that would forever live inside his own body and dropped his right, pressing it to Magnus’ chest. He pushed each piece into their bodies, sinking down into each of them with a higher level of concentration then he had ever used in his life, needing to ensure he did it properly. He found the hole within himself and slotted the sliver of soul he had extracted from his mate effortlessly into place. It was seamless, almost as if Raziel himself had fashioned that part of his mate specifically for him, filling him with an awareness of his mate that he hadn't really understood when Izzy had explained what the exchange was like. He could feel his mates presence within him, feel his lifeforce as though Magnus’ heart were beating in his own chest, it was beyond his wildest expectations, beyond his dearest hopes.

Magnus watched Alec, sat on his hips in an almost trancelike state, as he brought his hand, glowing with the pulsing white light that encapsulated it down to his chest. He had never felt so complete and at peace in his life, not even when he had exchanged mating marks with Alec, as he felt when the piece of his mate that he would have an eternity to cherish slotted into place. 

It filled the lonely, echoing chasm that had been left when Alec took a piece of him for himself, with the presence of his mate but it was more than that, it filled the void he had been only too aware of since the day he had received his Angelic rune. He had felt the presence of that void, the incompletion of his life since the day he had presented as an Alpha, feeling as though it would never be filled. Then Alexander had come along. He had offered him more than a mate and a future, he had given him a sense of completeness and a purpose. He saw the path their life would take, each winding bend and dip in the road that they would overcome together, the adversities they would face and the precious moments that would make enduring those hardships worthwhile. He smiled up at his mate, seeing the tears in his eyes, knowing that he was seeing the same thing. It had him pulling him close again.

Alec kissed the corner of his Alphas eyes, brushing the tears away with his lips before he settled against Magnus’ chest, propping his head upon his crossed arms to look at him. “Are you happy, my love?” he asked, searching Magnus’ eyes. His own joy was coursing through every part of him, singing in his veins but he wanted to be sure that Magnus was as happy as he was.

“More than words could express, love,” Magnus whispered around the lump in his throat, running his fingers through his mates hair. “I see you, Alexander. I see every single, beautiful piece of you. I never knew it would feel like this, that I would feel as though my life was just beginning. It feels like my life was on hold until I met you, like it was a shadow of what it could be” he said, pressing his lips to Alec’s forehead.

“That's how it felt for me,” Alec said as his eyes closed, savouring the feeling of Magnus’ lips against his skin. “I had my family, my work and my position, don't get me wrong, they made me happy but it was as though I was waiting, as though I was waiting to start living. I am so happy that I get to share this life with you, my beautiful Alpha” he whispered. 

They lay quietly, each content to lay wrapped around their mate until Magnus’ knot went down. He pulled out of his mate and carried him through to the bathroom, turning the shower on and cleaning them both up. He lay Alec down on the bed, a small chuckle escaping him at the growl that rumbled through his mate when he suggested changing the sheets.

Magnus made his way to the kitchen, rustling up a mountain of sandwiches and a few bags of chips and protein shakes and meandered back through the apartment, the need to feed his mate pushing him to walk faster as he approached the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Alec fast asleep, clutching one of his shirts to his nose. He smiled at the soft snores emanating from his mate, they were adorable!

He placed the food on the nightstand next to Alec and fished his phone out of his jacket pocket where it lay on the floor in the doorway of the bathroom went it went off. He turned it off, not even bothering to check who was trying to call him, he wasn't interested. He climbed into the bed, curling around his mate, sinking back into the bubble they had created and locked it all out, the institute, the clave and the law. He didn't want to think about the consequences of their decision, he just wanted to live in this moment with his mate, the moment where they were together and they had a future and there were no consequences.

**

Magnus woke to feel his mate grinding against his cock. His eyes sprang open, instantly taking in the scent of his Omegas slick and the hot, sweaty feeling of every inch of his body pressed against him. The slick that was dripping onto his cock and all over his thighs from his mates leaking ass smelled divine. He looked over Alec's shoulder to realise he was still asleep. “Alexander, wake up, love” he whispered, unable to speak from the lack of breath his mates heavenly scent was stealing.

Alec woke with a whine. A desperation consuming him before he even had his eyes open. “Magnus… can we… I need…” he gasped out as the need for his Alphas knot crashed through him.

“What do you need, love?” Magnus asked, levering himself up onto his elbow to look down at his mate, seeing the bright silver glow of his eyes. Fuck! He was so beautiful. He watched with surprise as Alec slipped from his embrace and pushed himself up onto all four’s.

Alec was too far gone in his need for Magnus to be able to utter a word so he simply buried his face in his pillow and offered his ass up to his Alpha, his breath catching in his chest at the thought of being filled again.

Magnus shifted to kneel behind his mate. The sight of his perfect ass in the air almost taking over him. He ran his hands over the cheeks of his ass before spreading them. He couldn't stop himself from leaning forward when he saw Alec’s puffy asshole, dripping with slick. He licked a stripe up his mate's ass, his eyes slamming closed when Alec let out a low moan, bucking his hips back. Fuck! The sound had his half-mast dick hardening instantly. He grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin of his mate's hole, darting his tongue out when Alec pushed back onto his face.

“Yes! Fuuuuck” Alec moaned when he felt his mates tongue sink into his ass. Fuck, it felt so good. He let the blissed-out sounds tumble from him, babbling incoherently as Magnus searched him out with his tongue. He thrust his ass back and forth when his mate held still, fucking himself on it. “That feels… so… fuckin’... good!” Alec moaned, is pleasure only increasing when Magnus pushed his fingers into him.

Magnus went straight in with three fingers, pressing kisses to the bottom of Alec's spine as he fingered him. He curled his fingers up while he gave his dick a few short jerks, tugging himself to full hardness, the pitch of his mate's mewling was growing, he knew that his fingers weren't enough, not while Alec was in heat. “It’s okay, my love, I know what you need, I've got you, sweetheart” he whispered as he lined himself up with his mate's slack asshole. He groaned when he sank in. he had planned to go slowly but his mate had other ideas!

“Give me all of it, darling” Alec muttered as he rammed his ass backwards, sinking onto his mate's dick with a long, drawn-out moan. He pulled forward slowly before slamming backwards, happily impaling himself when Magnus held still, letting him set the pace. He pushed his sweaty head into the crook of his elbow and built a steady pace, rolling his hips on every backwards thrust, needing to catch that spot inside of himself.

Magnus’ moans matched those of his mate. The feeling of being inside him was something he knew he would never be able to live without from then on. He trailed the tips of his fingers down Alecs back, tracing lazy patterns into his sweaty skin, his hips starting to buck forward at the pace his mate set. He thrust up slightly with each backwards thrust of Alec's hips, each time he rolled them, the effect was instantaneous.

“Fuck, Magnus… right… there!” Alec stuttered out, punctuating each of his words with a roll of his hips. He straightened up, arching his back when Magnus took hold of his hips and started thrusting into him, the new position ripping a scream from his throat, it was perfect. He slammed his eyes shut, unable to keep them closed as the pleasure shot through him, setting his veins on fire.

“You are so beautiful” Magnus whispered into Alec's ear as he pushed into him again and again. He trailed a line of kisses up Alec's shoulder, paying extra attention to the mating bite on his neck. He would never tire of seeing that mark, never tire of kissing it. He was getting close and wanted his mate to go with him so he reached around and took his Omegas cock in his hand, working him with sharp jerks, twisting his hand slightly on the end with each thrust of his hips, matching the rhythm he set.

Alec's head dropped back onto his Alphas shoulder, arching his back further to keep the sharp thrusts of his mated cock hitting his prostate. He couldn't help but reach back, wrapping his arm around his mates head to tug at Magnus’ hair. The feeling of his hand on his cock, his teeth nipping at the skin of his neck and his dick scraping along his prostate was pushing him closer to the edge, he could already feel the heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach as his balls began to tighten.

“Let go, my love. Let it out” Magnus whispered, leaning into the hand Alec was tugging his hair with, it felt so good. The sound of Alecs laboured breathing, his intermittent mewls, their balls slapping together was spurring him on. He could feel his impending orgasm surging up from his balls and his knot starting to swell. “I'm gonna come” he grunted, his face screwing up tightly as he fought to control it, needing his omega to come at the same time, he was fighting a losing battle.

“Magnus… Magnus” Alec whimpered when he pushed himself back onto his Alphas knot, his breath stuttering out when he felt his mate spill into him, the warmth of his seed blasting into him. It pulled a scream form his aching lungs, the pressure of it forcing his own release, exploding into Magnus’ hand.

“Alexander” Magnus mumbled like a prayer into the crook of Alec's neck. He released his mate's hip to run his hand up his mate's side, trailing his fingers over his chest and up the arm he had wrapped around his neck, pressing soft kisses to his shoulder and arm as he continued to spill into his mate's body. The salty taste of the sheen of sweat covering Alec did nothing to stop the trails of kisses he left on his mates rapidly cooling bicep and shoulder muscles, his temperature returning to normal as his heat was sated for the time being.

“Thank you, my love” Alec whispered, tilting his head to the side to give Magnus better access to his neck. He felt a shudder run down his spine when Magnus kissed him behind his ear, his hot shallow breath brushing over his ear and down his neck.

“What are you thanking me for?” Magnus asked with a chuckle, which turned into a grunt as another wave burst from the end of his cock. “Fuck!” he mumbled.

“For giving me what I need,” Alec said, wrapping his arms around the top of his mate's when they came around his waist. “And for that monumental plate of food you made us,” he said, laughing and groaning when Magnus’ cock tugged at him with every shake of laughter that rumbled through him. He summoned the plate of food, happy to stay kneeling on the bed with Magnus’ dick still buried un his ass, he was starving! He bit into the ham and coleslaw sandwich, not even caring that it was obviously a few hours old, judging by the crustiness of the bread. He took a colossal bite before stuffing the other half into Magnus’ mouth over his shoulder, barely chewing it before swallowing and grabbing another. “So good, I'm starving” he mumbled around another huge bite, choking when another spurt shot into his prostate.

“Slow down, love, they aren't that good,” Magnus said, grabbing another sandwich while he slapped Alecs back until he stopped choking. “I think we've both worked up an appetite,” he said as he stuffed half of his sandwich into his mouth and fed the other half to his mate.

“Mmmhhmmm” Alec mumbled out as he chewed. “Want to watch a movie?” he asked when he swallowed. He conjured a huge tv and a collection of his favourite movies when Magnus nodded. It took a bit of manoeuvring but they managed to lie down on their sides to watch as they waited for Magnus’ knot to deflate. 

“What are we watching?” Magnus asked as a man with a deep voice started talking about some guy called Andy. He propped his head on an extra pillow to see over his mate's shoulder.

“This is one of my favourites,” Alec said as he lay his head on Magnus’ arm and summoned the bag of chips from the nightstand. “Its called The Shawshank Redemption. That guy Andy got sent to prison for murdering his wife but he was innocent, he spent thirty years in jail for a crime he didn't commit and escaped using a tiny hammer he had spent the last thirty years scraping a hole in the wall with. He meets up with Morgan Freeman when he gets out of jail” Alec said, barely pausing for breath. “What?” he asked when Magnus groaned behind him.

“Your one of those!” Magnus groaned, laughing when his mate turned his head to look at him with an adorable confused look on his face. “You're one of those people who tell you the entire plot of a movie before you have a chance to watch any of it,” he said with a grin, kissing his mates brow to straighten out the thin line it had mashed into.

“Oh, uh, sorry. Izzy says the same thing” Alec muttered his cheeks turning a spectacular shade of pink. “Olivia does the same thing, we cant help it,” he said with a grin.

“What is she like? Chris mentioned her, he said she is a sweet soul” Magnus asked, curious about the woman, as he snatched a few chips from the bag his mate was hogging and stuffed them in his mouth.

“She is amazing,” Alec said, a grin spreading across his face at the thought of his favourite niece, his only niece he thought with a laugh. “She is a wild child, a free spirit. She never left the 60’s behind. She tries to help anyone that comes along. She loves animals and nature, which is reflected in the colour of her eyes. All you can see is rolling meadows and old forests in her beautiful green eyes. She never glamours them, she says the world should love her for who she is. She is the bravest of all of us” Alec said.

“She sounds special,” Magnus said, smiling at the glow on his mates face as he spoke of her, it was clear how much he loved her just from the gushing tone of his voice. “I’d love to meet her, she sounds sweet,” he said, grinning when Alec clicked his fingers and produced a photo of the woman. He stared down at a carbon copy of Izzy, the exact same features, except for the glowing green eyes. He smiled at the wide flared jeans and trailing kaftan she wore, one arm draped over Davids' shoulder, the other one making a peace sign.

“She is the sweetest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” Alec said, grinning when he thought of her. “But you don't ever want to cross her. She is sweet until you piss her off, which takes a lot, but she would annihilate anyone who crossed her or our family. She has Izzy's fire and then some and is extremely gifted with battle magic” he said, almost shuddering at the thought of getting on her bad side. “Once my heat is over, ill introduce the two of you, if she is back from South Africa. She met her Alpha on a ‘walkabout’ she went on” he said.

“I can't wait,” Magnus said, handing Alec the picture and settling in to watch the movie.

** 

“I'm, so fucking close!” Alec screamed as the cool water cascaded down his back, the scrape of Magnus’ teeth on the back of his neck pushing him closer to the edge. He grabbed hold of the shower unit itself, almost ripping it from the wall as he slammed his ass back into his Alpha. “Fuuuk, a little to the left, Magnus. Yes there, fuck me, FUCK ME HARDER” he screamed, banging his fist on the wall as Magnus gave it to him.

“I want to hear that filthy mouth of yours, Alexander” Magnus shouted out, gasping from the pace his mate had him setting. “Give it to me, I want to hear it all” he grunted, snapping his hips back and forth, holding onto Alec's hips with a vicelike grip to keep them from slipping in the shower.

“Fuck me like the slut I am” Alec screamed “give me every inch of that fucking cock of yours. I want to feel every inch of it in my hungry asshole. Split me in half and breed me up, Alpha. You can do better than that, I want you to fucking wreck me” Alec screamed, paying no attention to the string of obscenities pouring from his mouth, his lust soaked brain too far gone. “Magnus!” he screamed when his orgasm slammed into him like a freight train.

“Shit, I love when you talk like that” Magnus growled before he exploded in his mate's ass. He almost collapsed as his knot spurted jet after jet into his mate.

**

“I know you're the one doing all the work my love” Magnus muttered as he stared up at his beautiful mate, his head thrown back as he rode his cock. “But I’m exhausted,” he said, bucking his hips up as Alec slammed down.

“Here, use this” Alec said when his gaze snapped down to look at his tired looking Alpha, they were both exhausted and he was only halfway through his heat. They had been fucking continually for the last day and a half, grabbing an hour or two of sleep in between, it was starting to take its toll. He clicked his fingers, summoning his Alphas stele and handed it over.

Magnus took it gratefully, activating his stamina rune. He sighed with relief when he felt his energy replenish. It wasn't perfect but it was the only solution available. He glanced up at his mates glowing eyes, watching his every movement with fascination as he bounced on his dick.

“What does this one do?” Alec asked, pointing to the rune on his mates right hip.

“It's my strength rune” Magnus gasped out.

“Activate it,” Alec said with a glint in his eye, this could be interesting, he thought with a grin. “What about this one?” he asked, brushing his fingers over Magnus’ right shoulder.

“Flexibility” Magnus said with a grin, activating it before his mate could ask. “Precision, soundless, fearlessness, power, nourishment, sure striking, accuracy,” Magnus said, giggling as he activated them one by one. He pulled Alec off his dick and swept him up, bounding from the bed and pressing him to the wall, gripping him under the thighs as he ploughed back into him, his tiredness forgotten in the new game they had discovered.

“Fuck! You are bringing that stele to bed again, my love!” Alec screamed as his mate practically tossed him around before slamming straight into his prostate. “I fucking love runes!” he screamed, his legs flopping about as he wrapped his arms around his Alphas neck and held on for dear life. He ignored it when he heard a banging on his front door for the second time that day.

“Again! Surely she knows you're in heat” Magnus muttered when he heard Izzy start bellowing at them to let her in. Alec had redoubled the locking spells he had placed on the door and Magnus had added a locking rune for extra peace of mind when she had finally given up and left that morning. “Your scent isn't exactly subtle. Don't get me wrong, it is my favourite scent in the world, id inhale it all day if I could but its strong as fuck” Magnus gasped out quickly when his Omega glared at him.

“Is that Dot?” Alec asked breathlessly before another scream erupted from him, he could here Dot’s yells mingling with his sister’s. “Fuck, Magnus! Right there!” he muttered, burying his face in his Alphas neck at Magnus’ cock continually pounded into his prostate. “I think DOT’S WITH HER, MOTHERFUCKER!” he screamed when his balls tightened and he came between them.

“RAZIEL” Magnus screamed when he dropped Alec down over his knot, his asshole squeezing it as he fell. He squirted into his mate with a ferocity he didn't know he was still capable of from the number of times he had erupted in the last 34 hours. “Yeah, she's out there, id recognise that big mouth anywhere” he gasped out, each word punctuated with another wave of his seed as it shot into his mate's body. He sank to the floor, lying flat on his back and letting Alec collapse onto his chest.

“Maybe they feel the need for some mother-daughter bonding?” Alec asked with a grin, making Magnus howl with laughter. “Haven't either of them got anything better to do? Honestly, I wish they would piss off and go and annoy someone else” he muttered.

“If we just ignore them, they might go away,” Magnus said with a chuckle as his heart rate settled and his breathing returned to normal. He trailed his hands up and down Alec's thighs where they were draped on either side of his hips.

“Yeah, not likely,” Alec said, rolling his eyes before he claimed his Alphas lips, pushing into his mouth. He swirled his tongue into Magnus’ mouth in a slow sensual kiss that had his heart rate rocketing again. “How about we continue this in the shower again, I kind of liked it in there” he muttered against his mates lips.

“I don't know if I have enough runes for that” Magnus said with a chuckle as his knot started to deflate, much quicker than usual. “But the shower part sounds good, I'm almost as sweaty as you” he whispered in his mates ear. He pulled out of Alec and scooped him up, bounding towards the bathroom as the women continued to pound on the door.

Alec's eyes slammed shut when Magnus started washing his hair under the cool water. He turned the temperature up when he realised how cold the water was before sinking into the gentle scrubbing motion his mate was washing his hair with. They soaped up and quickly washed themselves down before grabbing a couple of fluffy towels and dried each other off. He wrapped a towel around Magnus’ waist before wrapping one around his own waist. Before stumbling from the bathroom. He groaned when he heard his sister shouting unintelligible things through the door.

“FUCK OFF” Magnus roared out, knowing his mate didn't want either of them in there or their scents anywhere near his nest. He glanced at the sheets with a grimace. “If I promise to wear all of your clothes in one go and rub my body against the new sheets, do you think we can change those because I really don't know if I can climb into that bed again while they are still on there” he begged. He would do anything for his mate but getting into that bed with the same sheets on there made him feel ill.

“Sorry, my love,” Alec said with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks. He clicked his fingers, remaking the bed with fresh sheets. “Don't worry about your scent,” he said when the feelings of needing Magnus’ scent everywhere didn't crash through him. He clicked his fingers, producing a large pizza for them and collapsed onto the bed, handing a slice to his mate before stuffing a slice into his own mouth, famished again.

They munched their way through the pizza, Alec conjuring another when they had inhaled the first. They grinned at each other when the pounding on the door stopped, happy to be with one another in the bubble they had created for themselves, munching their pizza and forgetting about the rest of the world and their ridiculous rules.

“I love you, my darling,” Magnus said when they climbed into the fresh bed, sighing with relief as he felt the cool, clean cotton against his clean skin, one of his favourite feelings in the world. It was nothing, however, compared to the feeling of Alec laying in his arms.

“I love you more” Alec muttered sleepily as his mate snuggled into his back, the feeling of Magnus’ fingertips skimming back and forth across his stomach sending him off into a deep sleep. He was gone so fast he didn't hear his alphas reply.

“Not possible, love” Magnus whispered into Alec's hair before he drifted off into a much-needed sleep, gripping his mate to him and splaying his hands protectively over his Omegas abdomen.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi all, I am off to Cyprus for a week on Wednesday so I'm going to be doing a rapid upload over the next few days. I will type and upload as fast as I can so as not to leave you without updates for a week. so keep checking, I might even upload multiple chapters per day if I can type fast enough. Thanks for reading and all the support on twitter and your messages, I really appreciate every single one of you xxxx

“Mmmm, morning, my love” Magnus muttered when he felt Alec moving around in the cage of his arms. He tightened his arms around his mate as the sunlight stabbed at his eyelids where he kept them shut, not wanting to face the day. He brushed his fingers across his silent mate’s stomach. “Are you okay, love?” he asked when Alec didn't say anything.

“Yeah, just thinking” Alec whispered as he turned over to press himself to his mate. He wondered if he should say something. He’d been awake a little while, visions and scenarios running through his head. He looked at the happy smile on Magnus’ face, pressing his lips to his Alphas closed eyelids. He looked happy, seemingly unaware of what had him lying there in silence. He tried to squash the happy, excited feelings down, not wanting to get his mate's hopes up.

“What is it, sweetheart?” Magnus asked when he opened one eye to look at his mate. The look on his face had his eyes springing open he saw the small smile on his Omegas face. A twinkle in his eye, he looked gorgeous, Magnus thought to himself.

“Nothing, it's just that, my heat is over,” Alec said, silently adding ‘early’, choosing to wait until he knew for sure. He looked up at Magnus through his eyelashes, wondering if his clueless looking Alpha would put two and two together like he had. He didn't want to jump to conclusions but his brain was screaming four, four, four, at him. He watched his mates face relax. Lilith! Did they teach them nothing at that shadowhunter Acadamy of theirs? he wondered. The thought soured his mood slightly as reality set back in.

“Oh, yeah,” Magnus said, the realisation sinking in that Alec's temperature was normal and he couldn't scent any slick, it must have finished in the night. He stretched, realising they had slept the whole night without being woken up by Alec’s heat, his need to have it satiated.

“Izzy has been texting none stop,” Alec said with a scowl. He had checked his phone when he had woken, seeing dozens of missed calls and texts, he hadn't bothered listening to the voicemails, her texts had said it all. “Dot and David turned up at her place. Dot had gotten a text from Clary, telling her what had happened. When David told Izzy about the phone call I made, she put two and two together. They came to stop us when you didn't return to the institute” he said, his heart sinking at the thought that Magnus would have to go back.

“Fuck” Magnus muttered, pulling Alec closer, he didn't want to return to reality, he wanted to stay in this bed forever and never leave, never face up to the consequences. He could honestly say with his whole heart that he regretted nothing but he was not looking forward to Dot’s reaction. “I need to check my phone, don’t I?” he asked.

Alec summoned it and handed it to his Alpha. He watched Magnus’ face darken when he turned it on and checked his messages. “What is it?” he asked, not wanting to know what had put that angry, concerned look on his face.

“Dot saying she knows what happened, that she is covering for us as best as she can,” Magnus said, hating that she had to cover for them at all. Alec was his mate, he should be free to mate him without having to worry about what would happen and without his parabatai facing the clave's wrath if they found out she was covering for them. “There are also a few texts from Swanson. He is who I left in charge when we left for Idris” he said when Alec looked at him with a confused look on his face.

“Christopher Swanson?” Alec asked, then when he realised why the name sounded familiar. “I know his mate, he is a friend of Simon’s. How is he doing?” he asked.

“He’s just about holding it together,” Magnus said, a wave of guilt slamming into him. He had stopped Chris from taking his vampire mate then claimed his own warlock. “He is worried about one of the transfers, Emma Brookwater. She has disappeared from the institute. He’s worried she has gone to find her mate” he said reading through the texts, she had been acting strange for a couple of days before disappearing from the institute.

“I’ll have to find her, Chris is too scared to leave the institute. He’s terrified of being unable to stay away from his mate” Magnus said with a sigh. He opened a new text from Chris as it pinged his phone. 

Return to the institute, we need you back here  
You have a duty as head of the Institute  
Swanson.

“I have to go,” Magnus said with a sigh, wanting to throw the phone across the room. He saw the same look mirrored on his mates face, he wanted him to stay too. “I'll come back tonight, I don't want to spend another night away from you, love,” he said when Alec pulled a resigned look onto his face with a nod.

“Do you want me to create a portal?” Alec asked, getting up and dressing them both with a click of his fingers. He held back his sigh when Magnus just nodded with a scowl on his face. He watched as his mate activated a rune with his stele before he saw a glamour fall over the mating mark on his neck. The sight of his bare neck brought a low growl from his throat. “Those fucking assholes” he muttered.

“I know, I hate it too. I should be able to walk around with my head held high” Magnus growled as he took his mate into his arms, pressing a hard kiss to the mating bite he had left on his neck before claiming Alec's lips. He opened up when he felt his mates tongue lick at the seam of his mouth, accepting his tongue greedily. Their breathing grew shallow as they each tried to convey the love they felt for each other. “I have to go. I love you” he whispered miserably, pressing a few more soft kisses to Alec's lips before he let him go.

“I love you too,” Alec said sadly, waving his arm in a circular motion and creating a portal for his mate. He squeezed the end of Magnus’ fingers as his hand slipped from his grasp, wanting to just hold on for a few more seconds. He watched with a sigh as Magnus turned and stepped through the portal, he missed him already!

**

“Is there any news on…” Magnus cut off as he entered his office, wanting to get a progress report from Chris before he started his search. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the crowd of people in his office. He had portalled to the steps of the institute, making his way through the institute, trying to ignore the silent stares of everyone he had passed. “What is going on here?” he asked, his eyes narrowing when they landed on Emma Brookwater standing next to his desk with a superior look on her face.

Emma marched over to Magnus, watching as he stood stock still, his eyes darting to Christopher Swanson before his eyes landed on her. She saw the way his face shut down as she approached. She took her stele out and grabbed his stiff arm, brushing it over the glamour rune on his arm and deactivating any glamour he may have been using. Her eyes darted to his neck, taking in the mating mark on his neck with a vicious grin. “Magnus Bane, you are under arrest by order of Inquisitor Fell for the crime of mating the warlock Alexander Lightwood,” she said.

Magnus contemplated fighting, taking them all out and making a run for it but he knew he would make things worse for himself. The thought of what it would do to Alec if he were de-runed, however, squashed those thoughts flat. If he didn't fight, he would be de-runed and he couldn't let Alec go through that. His hands darted down to his thigh holsters, pulling his seraph blades out before he froze in place. His eyes darted around the room, seeing the look of pity and understanding, which turned to an angry expression on Chris’s face when his gaze narrowed on Brookwater, before his eyes landed on Jia’s warlock. He had taken control of his body.

“Enough of that, Bane,” Emma said, taking the blades from Magnus’ shaking hands and placing a set of cuffs on his wrists. “Dorothea Rollins will be left in charge of this institute until a suitable replacement can be found. Find her and inform her of what has happened” she said to Swanson. “Let’s go,” she said, pulling Magnus back through the office door and marching him down the corridor.

Magnus saw the looks of shock on every face, a smirk here and there but also a lot of frowns as he was forced, by the warlock and Brookwater’s grip on his arm, to march through the institute. He refused to look guilty, holding his head up as best as he could as he was dragged out through the Institute doors and into the portal the warlock created.

**

Alec slammed his eyes closed with a sigh when his sister barged through the door followed by Simon, Dot, David, Olivia and a man he assumed was her mate. He had felt the wards go off and was half expecting it. “Please, do come in. why don't you all make yourselves at home?” he snapped out when he saw them all, not in the mood for them.

“I have been knock… Alec, you're not in heat” Izzy said, gaping at her brother. She had prepared a big speech, about how they had been reckless. As much as she wanted her brother to be mated and settled, they had probably ruined any chance of changing the law. When the clave found out they would de-rune Magnus and Alec would be left with nothing. She was not prepared for her brother's heat to be over so soon though, she had been hoping to stop them before it went too far.

“First prize goes to captain obvious,” Alec muttered, standing up and pulling Olivia into a tight hug. “I've missed you, don't stay away so long next time. Is this your mate?” he asked when he released her and turned to the ebony skinned man with dark eyes and golden scales covering his arms, obviously having decided against covering his warlock marks. “He’s handsome” he whispered in Olivia's ear, making her giggle.

“Yes well, by all accounts, you have your own mate now, so hands off,” Olivia said with a grin as she took in the mating mark on his neck, her mom had totally overreacted, he deserved a mate. “Uncle Alec, this is Lethabo Hope, my mate. Lethabo, this is my uncle Alec” she said proudly, introducing two of the most important men in her life.

“Alec, you aren't in heat anymore!” Izzy said, grabbing her brothers arm when he reached out to take Lethabo’s hand and spinning him around to look at him. He hadn't even been in heat for two days! “Alec, does this mean…?”

“Izzy, I'm trying not to get my hopes up so drop it” Alec growled, glaring at his sister when she took a step back. “I’m sorry, I just… I don't want to get my hopes up if it was just a fluke. Please, just drop it until I know for sure?” Alec asked, absentmindedly brushing his hands over his stomach. He knew they would be in deep shit if anyone found out they had mated before they could change the law but he couldn't help the feelings of hope that welled up in him, try as he might to squash them down, that his heat had ended early because he was pregnant. He wanted it badly!

“Where is Magnus?” Dot asked, eying the way alec clutched at his stomach. She had mixed feelings about it. She was scared for her parabatai but she knew how much a mate and children of his own meant to him and there was only one reason Alec’s heat would have ended early. David had explained it all to her when they had received the text from Clary. She wished for his sake that the law was changed already, so it could be a cause for celebration, not one for fear.

“He went back to the institute, one of the unmated shadowhunters has…” Alec cut off when his wards went off. He heard a crashing sound coming from the store below them before he heard footsteps thundering up the stairs. He raised a shield around the group when a blonde shadowhunter crashed through the open front door of his apartment, breathing hard as he scrubbed his hand over his panicked looking face.

“Chris, what are you doing here?” Dot asked, concern colouring her tone at the angry, panicked look on his face as he fought to get his breath back.

Chris stared around at the group. He had pushed his fears down and run all the way from the institute, activating his runes on the fly, the second they had taken Magnus, parading him through the institute like he was some sort of criminal. He hadn't been expecting so many people though, he had thought only Magnus’ mate would be there, the group had him nervously plucking at the handle of a dagger before he squared his shoulders. “It’s Magnus, he’s been arrested,” Chris said to the large group when he got his breath back. 

“NO no no no” Alec shrieked, as the words the man had said hit him like a freight train. He fell to his knees when he lost all feeling in his legs. His mate couldn't… he hadn't… he had left less than an hour ago! He shook his head back and forth, it wasn't true! He shook his sister off when she dropped down in front of him. “No, no it's not true he’s coming back. He’s coming back tonight and we are going to have dinner and watch a movie, I have it all planned out. He’s coming back, he said so. HE’S COMING BACK” he cried, struggling against her when she grabbed his arms. He pushed her away, his gaze focusing with laser-like precision on the shadowhunter that had burst through his door.

“Alec, don't,” Simon said, grabbing his brother-in-law’s arms when he saw the look of rage on his face, he knew the man Alec’s focus had landed on wouldn't stand a chance, not with the look on his face promising a slow, violent death. He wasn't prepared for the strength Alec’s anger lent him though. He grunted, catching his balance and whipping around when Alec gave him an almighty shove, screaming his anger out.

Chris flinched back at the shriek of the dark-haired warlock when he shoved the vampire off him and ran at him with murder in his black eyes. He recognised Alexander Lightwood from his photo in the files he had searched, trying to find out where he lived.

“Alec, wait,” Dot said, stepping in front of Chris when Alec lunged at him. She caught hold of him, fighting her own panic down to wrestle him away from Chris. “Someone help” she shouted when he fought her, silently thanking her mate with her eyes when he dragged Alec back before she turned on Chris. “What happened?” she asked, trying to keep the anger from her tone as it barked out to wrap around him, without much success.

“It was Brookwater, she's been following him. I thought she was…” Chris trailed off, terror rushing through him. Dot knew but these strangers, he was terrified of admitting it to them. He stared when Olivia came forward. Did she know them?

“Please Chris, what happened? He is my uncle's mate” Olivia said, taking Chris’s hand, urging him with her eyes to continue. She glanced at Alec, seething in Davids' arms as he tried to get free of his hold, her dad helping to keep him at bay. She had never seen his eyes so dark, they were almost black. “Tell us what happened, nobody here will harm you” she promised.

“I thought she was like me and Magnus, that she had found a downworlder mate and got a transfer,” Chris said as his eyes darted about, waiting for one of them to say something. “I felt sorry for her, fuck! I've had half of the institute out looking for her, the traitorous bitch. She has been acting strange for days, sneaking out at night, disappearing for hours at a time. Then she completely vanished the day before yesterday. She came back with a warlock and a group of shadowhunters from Alicante this morning and took over the institute. She said she had been watching you and Magnus and that she suspected he had mated you. She took my phone and used it to text him, then, when he arrived, she arrested him. Dot is supposed to take over until they send someone else” he said.

“Are they fucking kidding? They arrest my parabatai and think I'm just going to take over and leave him to rot?” Dot growled as she started to pace. “Did she say when his trial will be?” she asked.

“No, but we will probably know by the end of the day, you know how fast they move,” Chris said.

“What do you mean?” Alec asked, barely able to keep the panic or the rage at bay. The feelings were taking it in turns to crash through him in waves.

“He will be tried in front of the whole clave,” Chris said with a shudder. The last time it had happened had been four years ago. He had barely been a full shadowhunter for a year before a trial had been called for a shadowhunter that had been found mated to a downworlder, the clave liked to make an example out of those that were caught, to discourage it from becoming a regular occurrence, he thought it best not to mention that though. “We will all be expected to attend,” he said.

“I'm going to get my mate back,” Alec said, trying to snatch his arm back from his nephew’s grip, trying to create a portal. “Let go! I won't let them do this to him. LET GO” he screamed when they wouldn't let go of him. He fought with everything he had, almost resorting to magic when they held on tight.

“ALEC” Olivia roared when she saw her uncle's magic start to coalesce on his clenched hands. “STOP, are you willing to hurt your family? You cant go blasting your way in there on your own, are you going to take on the entire clave by yourself?” she asked, gripping his face in her hands to focus his gaze on her. “We need a plan,” she said when he looked down at her, thunder rolling through his black eyes as his chest heaved.

“I need to get my mate back!” Alec said as calmly as possible, shaking them off and starting to pace. He was trying to push the panic down but it was gnawing at him, they could have already taken his mate's runes. They could be hurting him, torturing him. What if they found out that Magnus had told him about the law? It could be worse than having his runes taken away. The thought had him gasping for breath, his stomach twisting into a ball of razor blades, what if they were… he wrapped his arms around himself, trying desperately to push the images that filled his head away and hold himself together at the same time. “I need to get him back” he cried as he sank to the ground.

“We will get him back, I promise you, we’ll get him back,” Dot said, dropping to her knees and taking Alec in her arms. She rocked his shaking body as he sobbed. “We’ll get him back” she whispered in his ear, her own tears falling thick and fast. She swiped them away and pulled her phone out when it went off, seeing Chris do the same. She opened the text with dread when she saw it was an official summons. “His trial is set for the morning, 10.30,” she said, her stomach dropping through the floor, less than 24 hours.

“What if they kill him, Dot?” Alec asked, unable to hold back the question. “What if they take him away from me? I won't be able to bear it” he whispered brokenly, his heart shrivelling in his chest as his lungs gave out. He fought for breath, barely able to fill his lungs.

“You cant think like that, they won't kill him” Dot growled. “Stop crying now! We are going to fix this. You have to pull yourself together, for him. He needs you and sitting here crying won't fix things so stop crying, pick yourself up and think Alexander Lightwood!” Dot growled out, using her tone to wrap around the warlock in her arms. She felt like a complete and utter bitch, but she needed him, she needed them all to help her parabatai, and if she had to be a bitch to get their help, then so be it.

Alec stopped crying the instant she commanded him. He looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation there and the resolve. He looked around at them all, every one of them staring at him and Dot. She was right, he couldn't fall apart. He wiped his face and stood up, pulling her up with him and giving her hand a quick squeeze. “I’m going to portal to the Gard and take him back and then…”

“And then what? You are going to spend your lives on the run?” Simon asked, trying to be the voice of reason. “You are going to spend eternity portaling around the world? Spend your lives running and looking over your shoulders? You know you cant fight the entire clave. What will happen if Magnus escapes the Gard?” he asked Dot.

“A kill order will be put out, for both of them,” Dot said, looking each of them in the eye. “Every shadowhunter will have orders to kill Magnus on sight and Alec for helping him escape. That order would be given for any shadowhunter but Magnus is so high up in the clave that he knows too much, his capture and execution would be made top priority. You would both be hunted to the ends of the earth” she said, talking specifically to Alec. 

“So what? Am I supposed to just leave him there?” Alec asked incredulously. He would spend the rest of their lives running if that was what it took to keep his mate safe. “I don't care how long we have to run, I will not leave him there,” he said.

“Think about what you are saying, Alec! You will never be able to settle” Izzy said, darting forward to take her brother's hand. “You will be living in constant fear for the rest of your lives. You will never be able to settle down, have a home, have children. How do you think you would be able to cart children around with you? There won't be a corner of the earth that is safe, they are everywhere. We need a plan, a proper one. I'm sorry, I don't know your name. Maybe you should leave, then you cant get into trouble with your clave” she said to the blonde shadowhunter.

“Chris, Chris Swanson. And I am not going anywhere” Chris said, pulling a determined expression on his face and squaring his shoulders. “Magnus has done so much to help me, I won't leave him to rot either. The clave is out of order, I understand the pull a mate has on you. I don't even blame him for mating Alec, I would take my mate if I could. This law is ridiculous and Magnus Bane is the only one who has ever fought for us, so I am staying” he said with a glare, daring any of them to try and kick him out.

“You are Steven Underhill’s mate, aren't you?” Simon asked, recognising his name. He smiled, patting the guy on his shoulder when he stared at him wide-eyed. “Steve is a friend. There are no judgments here, Chris, we know a lot of downworlders who have found a mate in the clave” he said.

“Yes, like me. Chris, this is my mate, David” Dot said, pulling her mate forward to introduce them, Chris looked scared. She smiled a tight smile when he gaped at her. “Believe me, I was surprised as you, but these are good people,” she said.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Lethabo said, looking around when they all stared at him. “It seems to me that what you need most is a change to this man's law,” he said, pointing at the shadowhunter. 

“That is what we have been trying to do,” Alec said when he worked out what the man was saying. He had a deep voice and an extremely thick South African accent. “We have been portaling about trying to convince the clave into voting for a change,” he said.

“Yes, Izzy said that,” Lethabo said, nodding to his new mother-in-law. “It seems to me that you can use this trial to your advantage” he held his hands up, backing away when Alec turned on him with a snarl. “Please, I didn't mean it like that. You have been going to each individual institute, speaking to only a few. But the entire clave will be at this trial. You can use it to speak to them all at once, to try and convince them, to vote for you to have your mate” he said.

“The clave will never let him in” Dot said as she gaped at the man, it was a great idea but he would never get into the Gard. “they won't hear Magnus or Alec out, they will keep Alec out and strip Magnus of his runes, they wouldn't even give Alec a chance to speak in front of the clave" she said with a frustrated growl.

“Then take an army, make them listen,” Lethabo said, smiling when his mate came and took his hand. “I also know a lot of downworlders who have been rejected by their mates. They all deserve a chance to speak, to fight for the people that they should be mated to. Take them with you, the clave will have to listen if there are enough of us” he said.

“Us? Alec asked, the idea taking a hold of him, he could kiss the guy! He restrained himself.

“Yes, of course,” Lethabo said with a grin and a vicious glint in his eye. “You are my family now, I don't know how they do it here but where I come from, we fight for our family. I have seen too many friends and a few of my own family members destroyed by this law. I have two cousins that have been rejected, so I will fight for them and for you” he said with a nod, it was settled.

“We will need a lot, especially warlocks,” Chris said “the wards around Alicante are strong. They won't just let you walk in through the front door, you are going to have to fight your way in” he said.

“Simon, can you talk to Raphael? get him to speak with as many other leaders of the night children as possible” Alec asked, a plan starting to formulate as he spoke. “Olivia, go to the Seelie queen, beg for her help if it is necessary, I know she owes you a favour or two, cash them in if you have to. Izzy, go to Luke, he is well connected have him speak to the other pack leaders, there are plenty of rejected werewolves that won’t want to miss this fight. David, use the connections from your travels, speak to anyone that can help. I will talk to the other High warlocks, they will help. Use anything you can, all of you, phone calls, texts, fire messages. Have them all speak to the rejected downworlders and their friends and families, Lethabo is right, they all deserve the chance to fight for their mates” he said, sighing with relief when they all agreed.

“I will return home and speak with my friends and family,” Lethabo said. “I have been alive almost six hundred years, I know a few people,” he said with a chuckle when they all turned to him.

“Chris and I will have to attend the trial,” Dot said with a curl of her lip. “But we will be ready. Bring as many as you can, we are going to need them” she said, patting Chris on the shoulder when he nodded.

“Thank you, all of you, you have no idea how much this means,” Alec said, glowing with pride for his family, that they were all willing to help them, to fight for his Alpha. “Keep in touch and stay safe, I don't know how many more snakes will slither out of the shadows,” he said, squashing down the misery welling up inside of him, he had to get to work. He watched them all go with a small spark of hope, he just had to hold on and pray that Magnus would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't shout at me, I hate myself but it has to be this way. I won't make you wait too long for ch22, ill try and get it up tonight if I can . sorrrrrrrryyyyyyyy


	22. Chapter 22

Magnus stared at Ragnor Fell, standing on the other side of the cell they had put him in, cursing the day he had received his Angelic rune. They had marched him through the corridors of the Gard, Brookwater with a huge smile on her face, looking like the cat that had caught the canary. She had all but rubbed it in his face that she had caught him, and thrown him in here. He had been sitting down here for hours, waiting for someone to come and tell him what was happening.

“Magnus, how could you do this?” Ragnor asked, staring right back at Magnus. “You of all people! You have followed every law of the clave your entire life. How could you throw it all away, all your hard work?” he asked with a shake of his head.

“The question is, how could you do this, Ragnor?” Magnus asked, staring at the man he had thought of as an acquaintance, if not a friend. “You yourself have had your dalliances with downworlders, whereas Alexander is my mate,” he said.

“I fucked them, I didn't mate them!” Ragnor cried in exasperation. “I had no choice but to recall you, Magnus. Brookwater made a big scene when she turned up this morning. It was like she had waited for as many people as possible to be present for maximum effect. She practically bellowed that she suspected you had mated a downworlder, raving on about you climbing a drainpipe and practically claiming him then and there. A lot of people were present, I had no choice” he said miserably. He had a lot of respect for the man and it went against his better judgement to try him, but he had no choice. “The law is hard, but it is the law,” he said bitterly.

“Fuck the law, you know how ridiculous that law is” Magnus snarled as he glared at the Inquisitor. “That law should have never been…”

“Ragnor, what the fuck is going on?” Jia gasped out, breathing hard as she barged into the cell, her eyes taking in Magnus sitting on a bunk, glaring at the inquisitor. “I have just seen Brookwater, she said she arrested Magnus, what is the meaning of this?” she said, glaring at Ragnor. She had resisted the urge to smack the grin off the girl's face and raced down to the cells.

“He has mated a downworlder, Jia” Ragnor said, watching as her anger turned to shock. “And Brookwater kicked up a big stink in front of half the clave, I had no choice,” he said.

“Get out, now!” Jia said, glaring at Ragnor. “NOW! Go” she snarled, glaring at him until he left before turning to Magnus. “Fuck! Magnus, I'm so sorry, I should have tried to keep the two of you apart. I cant protect you from this, I'm so sorry” she said as she rushed over to hug her friend.

Magnus collapsed into her embrace when her arms came around him. He let the tears that he had been holding back fall. “This is going to kill him, he has already waited so long. Not even two days, Jia” Magnus sobbed into her shoulder. His mate had waited for so long and they hadn't even been mated two full days!

“Why? Why did you do it?” Jia asked, fighting her own tears back, his mate wasn't the only one who had waited, Magnus had been waiting for too long. “I thought you would be able to wait, you should have waited,” she said.

“Why should I have to wait?” Magnus asked, breaking from the hug to look at her. “How is it fair that shadowhunters who find their mates in another shadowhunter get to have them without question? What about the rest of us? We just get to sit on the sidelines and watch other peoples happiness, if we don't lose our minds first. A third of us, Jia, that's how many of us should be mated to downworlders and that's assuming we have spoken to everyone that has rejected a mate, some might be coping better than others” he said.

“So many!” Jia said, her eyes widening at the number. “That's hundreds. And they all wanted the change? stupid question, of course, they all wanted the change” she said with a shake of her head, why wouldn't they?

“When do you think Ragnor will set the trial for?” Magnus asked as another wave of desolation swept through him. All he could think of was Alec, what it would do to him when they stripped him of his runes. The thought was like a knife, ripping through his gut and leaving a huge festering wound.

“I don't know,” Jia said quietly, staring at her friend. They had been through so much together, fought for so long to wrestle the clave into submission. It wasn't fair, after everything he had done for them all and now it was all being ripped from him. “I don't know,” she said.

**

Alec clicked his fingers, the moment they all left, and produced a thick notepad. He pulled the coffee table over to the sofa and set to work. He sent fire message after fire message, asking everyone he could think of to portal to his apartment, letting his wards down in the process. He ignored the waves of pain crashing through him with every other beat of his heart, squashing down the panic that kept trying to pull him under, it was worse than before he had convinced Magnus to give them a chance. He looked up, an hour later, to see a portal open up, straight into his living room.

“Alec, whats up?” Sebastian asked when he stepped from his portal, clutching the urgent looking fire message in his hand, and glancing around. His eyes landed on a distraught looking Alec. “I got your message, it seemed pretty… fuck! Alec!” he muttered, staring at his friend's neck.

“Fuck sounds about right,” Alec said with a tight smile. “Don't, I won't be able to stop crying if you're nice to me, Sebastian,” Alec said when he saw his foster brother come at him with his arms wide open. He could be strong as long as those around him kept their distance, it always made him feel worse when someone was nice to him when he was upset.

“The clave have taken him then?” Sebastian asked, snarling when Alec nodded. “Those fucking arseholes! And they wonder why downworlders hate them so much. What are we going to do about it?” he asked, looking around when more portals started opening up.

“I've called a meeting for a start,” Alec said, getting up and giving Sebastian's hand a quick thank you squeeze before turning to the others that had started to pour in, “Aldous, Elias, Elphas, Cat” he greeted the newcomers, greeting more as portals continued to open up. “Sebastian, give me a hand,” he asked turning to Sebastian as he realised there wouldn't be enough room for them all. He took Sebastian's hand, seeing the wry grin and shake of his head as he looked around, and joined his magic with his friend’s. They expanded the room, Quadrupling it in size as it continued to fill up.

“Alec, whats going on?” Cat asked, stepping forward and giving him a hug, holding on tighter when he stiffened in her arms. “Remember who's holding you, boy, I wiped your shitty ass, give me a proper hug,” she said with a chuckle before he sank into it. Her eyes widened in shock when she pulled back and saw the mark on his neck “Alec!” Cat gasped, her eyes darting around to look for Magnus.

“He’s not here, I'll explain in a moment,” Alec said when he saw her looking around. He started counting heads, it took him a while but he finally counted 89 Warlocks plus himself. “Thank you all for coming. I won't beat around the bush, I need everyone’s help. I have mated a shadowhunter” he boomed out to the crowd. The looks ranged from pitty to shock to surprise. “Most of you are probably aware of Magnus Bane, he was taken by the clave a few hours ago and I want him back,” he said.

“What do you mean you want him back, do you think they are just going to hand him over?” Malcolm Fade asked incredulously.

“Of course I don't, why do you think I've asked you all here?” Alec said with a scowl. “A few days ago, my mate and I met with Jia Penhallow, the clave's consul. She allowed us to portal around the institutes to ask them to vote in our favour for a change in the law that forbids them from mating us” he said, the effect of his words was instantaneous, it was uproar.

“I bet the shadowhunters loved that, let me guess, they kicked you out on your asses and told you never to darken their doorsteps again?” Iris Rouse asked with a disdainful shake of her head.

“Actually, most of the ones we met with were pretty susceptible to the idea,” Alec said, narrowing his eyes at her. “Which isn't really surprising since the ones we spoke to were the shadowhunters that had to reject their mates because of that shitty law,” he said, causing uproar once more. He saw hope spark in more than a few pairs of miserable looking eyes. “Jia told us we would need a 60/40 split in our favour. We got a lot of votes before I went into an unexpected heat, I'm sure you can all guess how that went” he asked, turning his head to show them all his mark. “My mates trial is tomorrow morning and I want as many of you as possible to… attend it with me. My family is speaking to other downworlder leaders as we speak. Our plan is to take as many downworlders with us as possible, to demand my mates release, but also to ask for a change in the law. This is the rejected downworlders chance to fight for their mates, for the chance to take their mates and finally find some peace” he said to the crowd. He glanced towards the back of the room to see a few people pushing to the front.

“Absolutely not,” Lorenzo Rey said. “As representatives of the warlock council, we cannot allow you to lead our people to the slaughter, Lightwood,” he said when he reached the front of the room.

“Lorenzo, I don't remember inviting you,” Alec said, narrowing his eyes at the European representative for the warlock council, a self-important, pompous ass of a man with a god complex and a shit hair-don’t, Alec thought with a politically sweet smile. “How... nice of you to join us, I can assure you, I wasn't asking for the council's permission,” he said, his voice dangerously low as he turned back to address the crowd.

“You would lead them to their deaths so that you can have your mate?” Lorenzo asked, stepping forward and squaring up to Alec when he tried to dismiss him. “how could you be so selfish? We won't allow it” he snarled.

“First of all, Rey” Alec sneered, not in the mood for the asshole. “I am not leading anyone to their deaths, I am simply asking for numbers, enough so that the clave will have to listen to us. Secondly, I am not just asking for my mate, I am asking for everyone's sake and thirdly, we need this change. I am NOT asking for permission,” he said, his hands itching to wrap around the man's neck and squeeze until he was no longer breathing. He reigned in his murderous tendencies with a supreme effort.

“More like you need this change,” Lorenzo said, ignoring the glaring crowd. “The council will not sanction your vendetta on the clave. If you won't listen to reason…”

“Do you really want to be the one responsible for taking your own peoples free will away, just as the clave has done with the shadowhunters?” Alec snarled, clamping his hands to his sides. “You can put a stop to this, Lorenzo, but you will have to be the one who explains to warlocks the world over why you have taken their Lilith given right to take a mate, away. Are you prepared for the fallout of that decision? Any of you?” he asked, turning to the three other representatives of the warlock council. “How long do you think you will be able to keep your positions as leaders of the warlocks when they find out you have taken away their only chance for happiness, the only chance in god knows how long, to make a change, and not just for them, but for their children too, any one of them could be mated to a shadowhunter in the future” he said, breathing hard.

“Yes, but… well” Lorenzo stuttered, glaring at Alec.

“But nothing, look around you, Lorenzo. Look them in the eye and tell them you deny them the right to fight for their mates, for the mates of their friends and families,” Alec said, folding his arms to keep from punching the simpering warlock. He glanced around the room, most of those in attendance were glaring at the four warlocks who had tried to put a stop to Alec’s plan, mainly staring at Lorenzo, seeing as he seemed to be the mouthpiece of the small group.

“What guarantees do you have?” Lorenzo asked, seizing on an argument he knew he could win. “There are no guarantees that the clave won't agree now then turn on us in the future. Can you promise these people that if they mate with the shadowhunters, that they won't turn on them and murder them all in their beds?” he asked with a smirk.

“Are you serious?” Alec asked incredulously. “Its pretty obvious just from that ridiculous question that you aren't mated, Lorenzo,” Alec said, instantly feeling an overwhelming pity for the poor bastard that got stuck with him. “You would do anything to protect your mate! No shadowhunter would turn on their mate, it goes against every one of your instincts to even let anyone else cause them harm, I haven't even been mated to Magnus for two entire days and would already lay my life on the line for him. If you do not have a valid argument, would you kindly leave?” Alec asked, silently adding “before I drop-kick your ass to Edom”.

“And what about the rest of us? The ones that aren't mated to shadowhunters” Lorenzo asked. “Will your mated shadowhunters protect the rest of us when the clave comes for us? When they decide they want to punish us all for the actions of a few. If you go in there and start a war, all of us will suffer for it, you know the clave won't forgive your defiance of them, Lightwood” he said, raising his eyebrow in question. A smirk ghosting his lips, he had him!

“Why Lorenzo, I didn't realise you were so afraid of the clave, or that you were their spokesperson,” Alec said derisively. “Sebastian, maybe you could explain to Mr Rey here exactly what my mate's job entails. Please, explain to him what Magnus has been doing for the last ten years” Alec said, turning to a grinning Sebastian.

“I'd be happy too,” Sebastian said with a grin, tempted to take a hold of the man's ponytail and use it to repeatedly drive the bloke's face into his knee. He reigned himself in. “it is quite simple, Lorenzo. Magnus travels from country to country, forging agreements between the clave and the downworld. He takes two warring factions and brings a modicum of peace between the two” Sebastian said, grinning widely as he realised where Alec was going with it.

“We will offer the consul the one thing that she has been begging us for, for the last ten years, Lorenzo, we will offer her a new set of accords, an agreement that protects both sides,” Alec said, turning to the crowd. He could see a few uncomfortable looks but most of them seemed to be nodding in agreement. “It is time to end the death and suffering for us and for our children, they deserve to grow up without the fear of getting caught up in this stupid war, there has been too much suffering on both sides. It is time for peace” he said to the crowd.

“Peace between the clave and the downworld? That is your big plan? ” Lorenzo asked as he stared at Alec, his lip curling up in a sneer. “What makes you think that such a thing is even possible? Those savages don't know the meaning of the word peace” he said with a snort.

“Something needs to change, Lorenzo, we cant continue on the way we are going” Alec snarled, an inch from losing it and snapping the man's neck. “If we carry on, there will be no clave or downworld left. And we deserve happiness, everyone deserves the chance for happiness, not just those who mate their own kind. So I am asking you all, gather your people, speak to them and ask them to help us, to fight for their mates and their friends and family, we need all the help we can get and the agreement and support of the entire downworld” he said.

“And if you cant achieve this peace, what then?” Lorenzo spat. “What will you do when the clave does what they always do, try to destroy us all? When they won't just hand your mate over to you?” he asked.

“Then I will bring the entire clave to their knees” Alec snarled. “If they harm any of our people I will take them out without a moment's hesitation. If I cannot have peace then I will have war. They will not destroy my mate or any other shadowhunter for who their mates are” Alec said. 

**

Alec stepped out of his portal into Izzy’s living room, he glanced around, finding only Simon, coming through the archway from the kitchen with a glass of blood in his hand. “Hey, where is everyone?” he asked, throwing himself down on the couch. He slumped onto his side and buried his face in the cushion.

“Olivia has portalled back to cape town,” Simon said, taking a seat in his chair to watch his brother-in-law stretch out on the couch. “Izzy and David are in Australia. They headed into the outback, David said something about a village with a high concentration of rejected mates. I think a load of them sort of congregated there and formed a community, to help each other out” he said. “Is it all arranged with the warlocks?” he asked, draining half of his glass in one go.

“Yeah, they have agreed to meet up with the downworlders of each of their cities and portal them to Idris,” Alec said, glancing up at the clock on the wall. 11.30, less than twelve hours. The thought had him clutching his stomach. “I almost killed Lorenzo Rey, the guy is such an arrogant asshole” Alec mumbled.

“Is that the guy from the council?” Simon asked, scrunching his face up as he tried to remember “the guy with that shitty ponytail? Likes talking about antique potty's or something?” he asked, vaguely remembering a party Izzy had once dragged them all too.

“Close enough,” Alec said with a small chuckle that he didn't really feel. “They have agreed to share energy to get into the Gard as well,” Alec said. “Hey, thanks for arranging everything with Raphael and thank him for spreading the word so quickly and getting them to agree to a new set of accords,” he said as he glanced at Simon, giving him a tight smile.

“There's no need to thank either of us,” Simon said, draining his glass. “Actually, Raphael said to thank you. Tomorow will be hard, but you've given people a chance. For people like us, eternity is too long to live without the other half of yourself. I'm so sorry you have to go through this dude” he said.

“Me too, this law…” Alec cut off with a start, reaching up and snatching a fire message out of the air where it suddenly burned above his head. He sat up abruptly and opened it with shaking fingers to read it.

Alec, I've just received a text from Jia, Magnus is okay.  
He’s devastated but he hasn't been harmed.  
He say’s he love’s you and is so sorry he couldn’t come home.  
We will be leaving early in the morning, Jia’s warlock will have  
To work overtime to get us all there.  
Just hang in there, see you soon,  
Dot

Alec almost broke when he read the message, he was okay, he hadn't been harmed. He inhaled raggedly when he felt the sting of tears, his vision blurring when they gathered in his eyes. Just hang in there. He repeated those words to himself on a loop as he clutched the message, passing it to Simon when he looked inquisitively at him.

“Hey, he hasn't been harmed, that's the main thing,” Simon said, getting up and patting Alec on the shoulder as he handed the note back. He fetched a bottle of gin and a fresh glass of blood for himself before setting the bottle and a glass down in front of Alec. “Dot is right, you just have to hang in there, I know it's easier said than done but you’ll see him soon,” he said, watching as Alec poured himself a large drink.

Alec looked down at the drink, about to raise the glass to his lips when he remembered. He had pushed it to the back of his mind all day. He sent the glass and the bottle back to the kitchen with a wave of his hand and wrapped his arms around his stomach as another wave of pain crashed through him. If his heat hadn't ended early, someone might have had time to warn them, but then there wouldn't have been the possibility… but Magnus would have been safe. He thought about what would happen if they couldn't put a stop Magnus’ de-runing. He knew, without a doubt, that he would love his mate no matter what but the thought of their bond being gone was trying to take a hold of him. What would happen to their soul exchange? Would that be ripped away too? He didn't know anyone else that had done the exchange with a shadowhunter, and even if he did, he risked exposing that Magnus had revealed the claves secret, there was no one he could ask.

Simon heaved himself out of his chair and sat next to Alec, pulling him into a hug, he held on when Alec stiffened in his arms, a heaving sob escaping him, he looked as though his world had just burned to ash around his feet. He held him until he sagged into the embrace, wanting to annihilate the entire clave for what they had done to his brother-in-law, he didn't deserve this! He silently held him until he fell asleep, for once not having the words that would comfort him

**

Magnus sat up when he heard unhurried footsteps coming down the hallway outside his cell. He looked at the untouched tray of food they had brought him a few hours ago, maybe they were coming to take it away? He contemplated trying to make a run for it, getting to his feet and moving to the side of the door, before the window in the door opened. He caught the bundle of material that was shoved through it before the voice on the other side reached him.

“It isn't very nice in those cells, is it, Magnus?” Imogen Herondale asked, unable to keep the glee from her tone. “Rather cold and lonely without your mate, isn't it?” she asked as she peered through the small window at the furious man inside, hatred and a vicious feeling of victory bubbling up inside her.

“What the fuck do you want?” Magnus snarled, throwing the bundle into the corner and moving to look at her through the window. She looked far too pleased with herself for his liking. “What? Come to gloat that I've got my comeuppance? Go and fuck yourself with a shovel you spiteful old hag” he snarled, not in the mood for her.

“You should put those on, traitor red really is your colour, Magnus” Imogen sneered, wanting to reach through the window and smack him across his insolent face. “I remember the feeling of putting those clothes on, thanks to you, though what I did was nothing compared to your crime, you just couldn't help yourself, could you? Did you think you were special? That the law didn't apply to you? Look were all your arrogance and self-righteousness has landed you, in a cell with no position, no future and no mate” she said with a laugh.

“Fuck off you malicious… this was you, wasn't it?” Magnus asked as realisation dawned on him. He stared at her, at the victorious, superior look on her face. “You did this, didn't you? You sent Brookwater after me” he said, thinking furiously, putting the pieces together. Brookwater was from London, she had arrived at the New York Institute the day after Magnus had. Brookwater… “she is your cousin or your niece, isn't she?” he asked, furiously scrubbing his hand over his face as he tried to remember the old family trees of the of the Herondales.

“She is my cousin’s granddaughter,” Imogen said with a sly grin, watching him make the connections. “It was far too easy to send her to New York, the clave already did half the work for me, splitting up my family and sending them all over the world, Emma was just another transfer. I knew you would fuck up eventually, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and mating a downworlder, it doesn't get more fucked up than that. I knew one of them would catch themselves a traitor soon enough, that they would restore the honour you have taken from our family. Emma was only too happy to inform me that she had caught you sneaking around with a warlock, you really should ensure nobody is listening in when you have a meeting with the downworlders. She was ready to report you to the clave but she had to wait until you actually committed the crime” she said.

“You had her wait on purpose, didn't you? you had her wait until I had already mated him, you vindictive bitch” Magnus snarled, his hand shooting out to grab her. A low growl rumbled through him when she darted back, his fingers grabbing at thin air. "The Ferngates, they are cousins to the Herondales too. Have you got them all spying on the inhabitants of the institutes they were sent to?” he asked, his stomach dropping through the floor when he saw the smirk on her face. “Why? What are they doing? Why are they watching the institutes?” he asked as he stared at her.

“Shadowhunters and downworlders should not mate! There are too many of you, its a pandemic” Imogen snarled. “You all need to be cured. Jia will see, eventually, when there are enough of you, she will see the need for a cure. But by then it will be too late for you. You shouldn't have taken the institute away from me, Magnus” she said as she started to pace in front of his cell.

“You were working for Malachi, weren't you? You were working for him and helping him with his sick experiments” Magnus asked with a horrified lurch to his stomach. “Jia said she had gotten them all, but you were working for him too. How did you slip through the cracks? Jia would have used the sword on them, to find out who the others were” Magnus asked furiously.

“That's the thing with the mortal sword, Magnus. For it to work properly, you have to ask the right questions” Imogen said with a grin, smirking at the horrified look on his face. “She only asked them who was working for Malachi, she never asked who he was working for,” she said.

“You? Malachi was working for you?” Magnus asked, floored by the realisation that she had orchestrated the whole thing. Every shadowhunter under wrangle island was there because of her! “What have you done? Why did you do this, to your own people?” he asked as he stared at her.

“You need to be cured, it is a disease, a disease that needs to be stamped out” Imogen screamed, slamming her fist into the door. “You cant mate them and you cant live without them so we have to find a cure, to stop you all from going mad when you have to live without them. If he had had a cure he would never have done it, he would have stayed” she screamed.

“Who? Who would have stayed?” Magnus asked, wiping the spit that had sprayed from her mouth, from his face, she looked insane. “Who did you lose when they couldn't have their mate?” Magnus asked as he put all the pieces together.

“My son, my Stephen. His mate was a werewolf. Celine” Imogen said brokenly. “He rejected her and killed himself. It is a disease that needs to be eradicated, for the sake of the clave, for all our children, a few must suffer for the greater good, so that we can wipe it out. It makes you weak. But we were going to change that, Malachi was so sure he could do it. My family has been watching the institute's, once Jia realises how many there are, she will let me continue, she will let me find a cure” she said, a peaceful smile ghosting her lips. “Too bad you won't be around to see it,” she said as she turned to leave.

“It is not some disease that you can cure,” Magnus said incredulously, making a grab for her when she turned away. “You can't cure a person of the need for the other half of themselves. You could have saved your son by fighting for a change in the law, you could have fought for him. Instead, you chose to torture your own people, with an experiment that will never work. You won't get away with this Imogen. Jia will never let you anywhere near those people and neither will I. They will all find out what you have done” he snarled.

“And who is going to tell them?” Imogen asked, turning on the spot to look at him. “You? Do you think they will believe a traitor? You won't even get the chance to speak in front of them. They will see, eventually. When there are too many, they will see that this disease is spreading, and I will be only too happy to save them” she said, turning on her heel and walking away.

Magnus stared after her as she walked away, quietly humming to herself. She had lost her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a hair-don't is a hairdo that nobody should have, also, Imogen is a crazy bitch!
> 
> can you tell which characters that I don't like? lol


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was doing a rapid upload but this took a lot longer than I was expecting. Thanks for your patience, please enjoy

“Are you ready?” Alec asked, looking around Izzy’s living room at his family, giving them a tight smile when they nodded. He created a portal and watched as his sister, Olivia and David walked through. “I’ll look after them until you get there Simon, I swear, no harm will come to them,” he said, giving his worried brother-in-law a squeeze on the shoulder.

“I know, it’s not as if they can’t take care of themselves, but i still worry” Simon said, wishing for the first time in a long time that he wasn't a vampire, that he could go with them to the plains without burning up faster than one of Izzy’s casseroles, wishing he and the rest of the night children didn't have to wait for the warlocks to make it safe for them. Dot had explained that Magnus’ trial would be held in the huge courtyard that sat in the middle of the Gard and that they would have to find a way to protect the vampires if they wanted the full force of the downworld there. “You never stop worrying, no matter how old they get. And Izzy, please don't let her lose her temper” he asked with a small chuckle, trying to mask his fear for them.

“When have I ever been able to stop Izzy from losing her temper?” Alec asked, shaking his head when Simon laughed. “I won't let her mouth run away from her, you'll be there before she can get the chance,” he said reassuringly.

“Hey, I am the one that should be reassuring you,” Simon said with a small chuckle. “We will get him back though, Alec. They have to listen, they need this war to end as much as we do” he said, giving Alec a quick hug before walking through the portal, making his way to the Dumort. 

Alec checked the time on his phone as he stepped out of the portal, landing a mile in front of the city's walls. It had been a long time since he had set foot in Idris, he and Izzy used to dare each other to portal there when they were kids, seeing how long they would dare to stay there before portaling back to the cottage they had grown up in. He let the portal close behind him as he glanced at his phone, 10.25. He knew they were cutting it close but they needed the timing to be perfect, they needed every shadowhunter to be there. His stomach lurched when he thought about the fact that he would be seeing Magnus soon. He had only gotten a few hours sleep before he had woken on his sister's couch, drenched in sweat and screaming for him, the nightmares had been horrendous. He had sat watching the clock for seven hours before it was time.

He looked around, his jaw dropping when he saw the… he would have thought they were a crowd but Lethabo had been correct, it was an army, gathered on the Broclind plains. Everywhere he looked there were warlocks, werewolves and Seelies, all waiting to portal into the Gard. He saw a large group gathered together and made his way over, recognising his family, the bulk of the warlocks, Luke and… the Seelie Queen herself had made an appearance.

“Thank you all for coming,” Alec said, greeting them as he approached. “Your majesty, I wasn't expecting you to be here, you look as stunning as ever. I take it you will be joining us today?” he asked, giving her a small dip of his head. He refused to bow to the woman but it was always a good idea to keep her on side.

“Yes, your niece is quite... charming, she was rather convincing,” the Queen said, a small smile ghosting her lips as she glanced at Olivia. “She made some very good points, and I do hate owing favours. My people have suffered long enough for this law, it is time to put an end to it” she said.

“Your presence is greatly appreciated, I know you don't leave your realm for just anything,” Alec said with another nod. “Are we all ready? Does everyone know the plan?” he asked, glancing around and seeing the nods, he stepped forward and raised his hands, Izzy taking one and Olivia taking the other. He looked down the first chain as more and more Warlocks joined hands. He felt the power of thirty warlocks run down the chain, each of them adding their power and sending it to him as another chain of warlocks took up position in front of them. He gasped at the amount of raw power that filled him before funnelling it. He sent his awareness out, searching out the perimeter of the wards around Alicante, they were strong!

“I need a little more from each of you” Alec gasped out, almost falling to his knees with the amount of power that surged down the line. He pushed it out, wrapping it around the entire city as they continued to feed him their power, completely obliterating the protections that surrounded the city, the effect was instantaneous as every demon tower lit up, the previous soft white glow turning a deep red. 

David, joining hands with Lethabo on one side and Cat on the other, watched as the demon towers turned red. He felt the power from the chain surge into him as more warlocks joined hands with them, and used it to create a portal, the largest portal he had ever created. He fixed it to the courtyard in the Gard, using the mental image he had pulled from Dot’s mind, effectively creating a pathway between the plains and the courtyard.

**

“I suggest if you want me to wear those, you come back with more people” Magnus roared, his chest heaving as he glared down at the four shadowhunters lying in a heap at his feet. “Get the fuck out of here and take your traitor robes with you” he snarled, snatching up the bundle that Imogen had shoved through his door the night before and throwing it at them. He glared at them until they left, sporting a number of cut lip’s and rapidly swelling black eye’s, even without his weapons and stele, four barely out of training shadowhunters were no match for him. He sat on the bunk, waiting for someone to come and get him, they might be trying him for mating Alec but he would not wear those robes. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps.

“Magnus, it is time,” Ragnor said, choosing not to comment when he saw Magnus’ leather jacket and black jeans. “I'm sorry Magnus, I have to put these on you, you know I have no choice,” he said, pulling a set of cuffs out.

“We always have a choice, Ragnor,” Magnus said with a glare, holding his hands out. He could have fought Ragnor, but they would have brought more shadowhunters down and forced them onto him. “Where is Jia?” he asked.

“She is waiting in the courtyard, she refused to proceed over the trial,” Ragnor said as he led Magnus from the cell and up through the Gard. “she has made it quite clear what she thinks of your trial and informed me that I’m on my own” he muttered.

“Can I ask a favour, Ragnor?” Magnus asked before they reached the courtyard. “Will you let me say a few words before you de-rune me?” he asked.

 

“You know that’s not how it works…” Ragnor started.

“Please, Ragnor, you owe me that much” Magnus interjected, he would never usually bring it up but he was desperate. “If it weren't for me you would still be stuck in LA. You and the clave owe me this much” he said

Ragnor stared at Magnus, his eyebrows raised in a silent question, what could he possibly have to say in his defence? The mating mark was there on his neck, plain for anyone to see, that he would be presented with the mortal sword and asked for his plea was merely a formality. He just nodded, leading Magnus out into the courtyard.

Magnus held his head up high as he was led out, he wouldn't hang his head, as far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong. His eyes darted around in the deafening silence, taking in every member of the clave with one sweep, they were all there, standing on the balconies, the overflow surrounding them and lining the walls of the courtyard. He had never seen them so quiet. Every one of them was watching him as he was led to the middle of the courtyard and placed in front of the sword before Ragnor left him there, even under the weight of their combined stares he refused to bend. He gave Dot, Jia and Chris a tight smile when he saw them stood together to his right, a sad look on Jia’s face and matching anxious looks on Chris and Dot’s.

Dot glanced down at her watch, desperately trying to think of a way to delay the trial, they had started it early, everyone having arrived early enough. It was 10.15 and she knew Alec and the others wouldn't get here until 10.30. She saw Chris doing the same, sharing a look with him. She couldn't even text Alec to tell him, too many people were watching her. She saw the pity in their eyes, they all knew what would happen to the parabatai bond she shared with Magnus once they took his runes away.

“Magnus Bane, step forward and place your hands on the mortal sword,” Ragnor said, watching as Magnus took the few steps and placed his hands on the sword. “You stand accused of mating the warlock, Alexander Lightwood. How do you plead?” he asked, watching as the sword glared to life under his hands.

“I mated Alexander, but I regret nothing,” Magnus said as the power of the sword flowed into him. “I plead not guilty because I feel no guilt in taking him as my mate, he was made to be the other half of me as I was made for him” he gasped out, releasing the sword. His eyes darted about as he heard the crowd start muttering. He recognised a lot of the unmated shadowhunters, the ones who had had to reject their mates, they were not happy with Ragnor! 

“You may feel no guilt over your actions, but that does not mean you are not guilty of breaking the law,” Ragnor said, snapping every word out. He hated having to be the one to sentence him but the law was the law and it was his job. He didn't miss the muttering of the crowd of shadowhunters at Magnus’ words. “I, therefore, sentence you to be stripped of your runes and banished from Idris. You may address the clave” he said, wondering again what Magnus could possibly have to say.

“He has betrayed the clave by taking a downworlder as a mate, he has broken the law, he doesn't get to speak before us” Imogen shouted, Jumping to her feet and darting forward when she saw Magnus glaring straight at her, his hands back on the sword. “He is a traitor, his words hold no weight, he is nothing but a liar, he has risked exposing the clave’s past when he took that warlock to his bed. Take his runes and be done with it” she shouted. What was Fell doing? Her mind screamed at her. He wasn't supposed to be allowed to speak.

Dot shot forward when Magnus turned to her, silently asking for her help. She didn't know what he wanted to say but Imogen looked terrified, almost stumbling in her panic to get to Magnus. She grabbed the woman by the arms when she tried to run at him, wrestling her away, getting a grip on the woman’s neck when she fought against her. “You will let him speak, he deserves the chance to defend himself, Imogen” she snarled.

“Let go of me” Imogen screamed, trying to pry Dot’s arms from around her neck, gasping for air through the tight headlock Dot had her in. “he deserves nothing, he is nothing but a sneak and a liar, his words mean nothing” she half shrieked.

“And yet, he holds the sword in his hands” Dot snarled, wanting to snap the woman’s neck. “Why are you so adamant that he doesn't get to speak?” she asked, feeling the shake of the woman's body where she had a hold of her. “Let him sp…” Dot stopped when the demon towers started glowing red, watching the entire clave pull weapons out as they stared around them a few seconds before a massive portal opened up into the courtyard, they were finally here! She saw David first, soon followed by the warlocks he led forward.

David and the first line of warlocks had a shield raised before they had finished stepping from the portal. He grinned when daggers and arrows rained down from the balconies they were all standing on and the crowd that was surrounding them, bouncing harmlessly off the shield. His grin turned to a snarl when he saw his mate, holding a woman by the neck, ten feet in front of him, completely unprotected from the hail of weapons being flung into the middle of the courtyard. He broke from the line and darted forward, wrapping his arms around them both and pulling them down as he erected a shield around them.

Magnus gaped at the portal that had opened, seeing David, followed by wave after wave of downworlders. He barely saw the rest of them though, he only had eyes for Alec when he saw him step through after David. His brain was screaming for Alec to get away, to run from the clave when he saw the weapons start to rain down into the courtyard. He tried to fight Ragnor when he felt the man pull him down, trying to make them as small a target as possible as the clave erupted. He had to get to him.

Alec created a huge portal in front of the first wave of warlocks, letting the weapons fall through it before half the clave started wrestling the rest of them into submission. “STOP, WE ARE NOT HERE TO FIGHT” he roared out, his voice magically enhanced, to reach them all.

“STAND DOWN, PUT YOUR WEAPONS AWAY” Jia shouted as she darted forward, throwing herself into the middle of the courtyard. She smiled gratefully at Alec when he raised a shield around her. “I SAID PUT YOUR WEAPONS AWAY” she roared, using every ounce of ALPHA she possessed to force them into submission. She glared around when they stopped firing on the downworlders that continued to pour through the portal. “Alec, what the fuck is going on?” she asked, turning to face the warlock.

“Where is my mate?” Alec asked. Glaring around, unable to see him. “What have you done with him? I swear you better not have taken his runes, Jia” Alec snarled, forgetting his promise of no fighting when they didn't immediately roll out his unharmed mate.

“I'm here, Alexander, are you okay? Did anything get you?” Magnus asked as he fought Ragnor off and launched himself up and ran at his mate. “What are you doing here? You have to leave” he said as he threw himself into Alec's arms. His stomach clenched when his mate's arms came around him, he was with his mate, but Alec was surrounded by shadowhunters and he couldn't even protect him.

“I’m okay, nothing touched me,” Alec said, pulling Magnus in and inhaling his scent. “Did… have they taken your runes?” he asked, patting every inch of his mate he could reach. He yanked Magnus’ sleeve up, almost crying with relief when he saw the runes there.

“Alec, what is going on? You say you aren't here to fight yet you bring an army with you” Jia said as she stared at the downworlders behind Alec, they had filled the courtyard. She glanced around when she heard growls and whines coming from the shadowhunters that surrounded the courtyard, the unmated shadowhunters, seeing their mates.

Alec released Magnus and turned to his sister, taking her hand and joining their magic. They built a roof, brick by brick over the entire courtyard, ignoring the shouts and snarls as they covered the courtyard over and lit the cavernous room with wicthlights. He used every ounce of concentration he had, knowing Olivia would be sending out a text to her dad.

“It is obvious why they are here” Imogen screeched, shoving the warlock off her in disgust. “They are here for war, that is what they do. They have come to kill us all. What are you all waiting for?” she asked, yanking her seraph blade out.

“Put that away” Magnus snarled, turning on her and putting himself in front of his mate. Even with his hands cuffed he knew thirty different ways to snap her miserable neck. “Put it away or I will fucking end you” he barked, using the ALPHA in his tone to command her. He looked around when another portal opened up, Simon stepping out followed by Raphael and what looked to be a hundred vampires, bringing more cries from the shadowhunters when they joined the rest of the downworlders.

“We are here to ask the clave for a change in the law that forbids you from mating us,” Alec said, turning towards the clave. “There are too many of us suffering for your law, on both sides. It is time to put an end to it. You cant continue to keep the clave and downworld apart, it will destroy us all” he called.

“You are not welcome here, Warlock” Imogen snarled. “If you do not leave we will…”

“What are you going to do?” Alec snarled at her “are you going to ask your people to fight their own mates, look around you Imogen Herondale. These are the people you force your shadowhunters to reject. Do you think they could harm their mates?” he asked, his voice booming out.

Magnus looked around at the members of the clave. The ones that hadn't found their mates within the downworld were all staring at one another, most of them still oblivious to the number of people within their ranks that were facing their mates. He gave Alec a reassuring smile before returning to take the mortal sword in hand.

“You put that down, Magnus Bane” Imogen shrieked, darting forward to take the sword from him. She wasn't going to let him anywhere near it. She shrieked when Dot barreled into her, both of them crashing to the ground with Dot pinning her down.

“I am not the only one that should be mated to a downworlder. What my mate says is true, there are many of us here, looking at our mates” Magnus roared, having to shout over the shrieks coming from Imogen as she fought Dot’s grip on her. He looked around at the assembled shadowhunters and downworlders, all of them having to wrench their gazes from the shrieking spectacle Imogen was putting on to look at him. “The reason Imogen Herondale does not want me to speak is that she paid me a visit in my cell last night…”

“HE IS A LIAR” Imogen shrieked “DONT LISTEN TO A WORD HE SAYS, HE IS…” she cut off when Dot slapped a hand over her mouth.

“The reason Malachi Dieudonne was de-runed is that he was secretly experimenting on shadowhunters that were supposed to be mated to downworlders” Magnus shouted, casting an apologetic look at Jia, they had to be told. He sighed with relief when she just nodded. “He was trying to find a way to stop us from taking our mates and to try and counteract the effects of having to reject them. He had 100 shadowhunters locked away in a facility under Wrangel island, torturing and experimenting on them for years. What Jia did not know when she de-runed Malachi, is that he was working for Imogen Herondale, she has had her people spying on the entire clave.” he shouted, watching as the entire courtyard erupted.

“SILENCE” Jia roared, glaring around until the courtyard fell silent, every person in attendance staring at Imogen with hatred in their eyes. She glared down at Imogen, watching her eyes darting around, a terrified look on her face as Magnus condemned her. She darted forward and pulled her from Dots grip, dragging her, kicking and screaming across the courtyard towards the mortal sword. “Alec Lightwood, a little help please” she shouted over her shoulder, barely able to breathe from the rage crashing through her. She clamped Imogen’s hands around the sword. “Hold her there,” she asked Alec, watching as he pinned her in place with his magic.

“Imogen Herondale, was Malachi working for you?” Jia asked.

“Yes,” Imogen screamed as the power of the sword crashed through her, wrenching the answer from her lips.

“Why did you have him conduct these experiments?” Jia asked.

“I wanted to stop shadowhunters and downworlders from mating. This disease took my son from me” Imogen screamed into the silence.

“Have you conducted any of the experiments yourself?” Jia asked mercilessly, paying no attention to the sobs pouring from the woman as the sword dragged the truth from her.

“Yes, many of them,” Imogen said

“How long have you been doing this? And how did Malachi become involved?” Jia asked, finally getting the answers she had never gotten from Malachi, having lost her temper and de-runing him before she could hold a trial for him.

“20 years. I started before Malachi found out. His cousin also killed herself when she couldn't take her mate” Imogen shrieked.

“How many shadowhunters have you tortured and killed?” Jia asked with a shudder, not even wanting to know.

“Hundreds, Malachi kept records when he took over but before that, I never kept count” Imogen shrieked.

“Name every person that is responsible for helping you,” Jia said, glaring down at Imogen, watching the fear role through her eyes.

“The Brookwater's, Emma, Darren, Phillip, Bethany, Elizabeth and Andrew. The Ferngates, Adam, Louise, Sarah, Johnathan, Samual, Angela, Leah and Carolanne. The Herondales, Stephanie, Sophie, Reginald. The Devaux’s Sophia, Adalyn, Kamile, Patric and Garan and the Aldertree’s, Victor, Freya and Mia” Imogen rattled off, hissing each name out between her teeth as the sword forced them from her.

“Seize them, I want every single one of them, now” Jia roared out to the assembled shadowhunters, grinning a feral grin when she saw they had already grabbed the named accomplices. She turned back to Imogen.

“What part did they play in these sick experiments you have been conducting? Tell me every detail of what you have had them doing” Jia asked.

“They haven't taken part in the experiments, I haven't been able to get near the facility since Malachi was de-runed.” Imogen snarled, gasping for breath as she fought uselessly against the sword and the magic Alec was using to hold her in place. “They have been watching the clave, following shadowhunters and downworlders and reporting their findings to me. Victor and Freya Aldertree, Johnathan, Carolanne and Samual Ferngate, Stephanie and Reginald Herondale and Kamile Devaux have all been using their positions as Institute heads to perpetuate the violence between the institutes and the downworlders, sending the shadowhunters on missions designed to keep the discord between our two peoples and the rest have been spying on the institute’s and downworlders” Imogen said miserably, condemning almost every member of her extended family.

“Imogen Herondale, I hereby sentence you to death for crimes of murder, torture and treason against the clave and the downworld,” Jia said, gripping Imogen’s face when she started shrieking “you are also responsible for the de-runing of every one of your family members. Their family names along with yours will forever be held in contempt by the clave.” she whispered in the woman's ear. “Take them all down to the cells to be held until they can be questioned with the sword,” she said to the guards that had taken custody of the named shadowhunters, ignoring their screams as they were dragged away. 

Jia pulled Imogen away from the sword when Alec released her and pushed her towards one of the guards, watching as she was dragged away after the rest of them. She turned to Alec, giving him a nod before taking a place next to Dot, giving him the chance to speak before the clave, something that hadn't happened in centuries.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for those who don't know me, my name is Alec Lightwood, I am Magnus Bane’s mate” Alec boomed out, seizing the chance that Jia had given him. “Everything he told you is true, there are hundreds amongst you that have found their mates amongst the downworld. I come before you to ask that you reconsider your law. For those of you that are mated to another shadowhunter, please, imagine if someone came along when you found your mate and told you that you couldn't be mated to them. Imagine if they had threatened to take everything from you if you tried to mate them. Ask yourselves if you think it is fair that you get to have your mate, the one you love, while others are expected to live without theirs” he asked, gazing at the faces that stared back at him, seeing the scared looks on their faces and the looks of pity.

“The shadowhunters that Imogen and Malachi experimented on were ones that could no longer take it when they had to live without the other half of themselves,” Alec said, gesturing around to the miserable, sick looking downworlders. “This is what it looks like to be without the one meant for you. I ask you, are you willing to continue to subject your fellow shadowhunters to a life of misery, a short life that they will inevitably take from themselves. It is too hard to live without your mate and almost always ends with mental health issues and eventual death. Will you continue to do this to your colleagues, your friends and family? Should they be punished because they met their mates and fell in love?” Alec asked.

“We have been at war for too long” Alec heard someone shout from the crowd of shadowhunters.

“Is it any wonder?” Alec asked. “Our people and yours are killing themselves rather than go on without their mates. Centuries of war and death and needless suffering, for what? So that we can all continue to live in misery? When will it all end? When there are none of us left? Think not only of your fellow shadowhunters but of your children. We have estimated at least a third of the clave are supposed to be mated to downworlders, hundreds of you. Do you think you will be the last generation to go through this? Will you also condemn your children when they come home and tell you their mates are werewolves, warlocks, Seelies and vampires? Will you report them and let them suffer the consequences? Or would you fight for them?” Alec asked

“Not all of our children will be mated to downworlders” he heard someone else shout.

“Maybe not all of them, but what if it is your child? Or what if your brother or sister or one of your cousins are one of those that have rejected their mates and are too afraid to tell you?” Alec asked. “Will you condemn them? For falling in love with someone from another race, for finding the other half of their soul, their mate? That is what you are doing. You are punishing my mate for falling in love, for something that neither he nor I had any control over” he said, watching as more and more faces turned from fear to pity if not understanding. “How many of you has my mate helped? How many of you has he saved from yourselves and war with the downworld? He has given his life to ensure your safety, to ensure you and your children don't have to look over your shoulders. He has saved you from having to murder innocent downworlders, because of who they are” he shouted into the silence.

“What guarantees do we have if we change this law? Downworlders will mate with shadowhunters, and then what? Can you guarantee that the downworlders won't turn on us?” he heard someone else shout.

“I take it you arent mated? One of my own people asked me the same thing of you, what if you turn on us and murder us in our beds, were his exact words” Alec said with a shake of his head. “I will tell you what I told him, to attack your own mate goes against every instinct in your body,” he said, looking back at his mate. The thought of causing Magnus harm was repugnant to him.

“And what about those that aren't mated to downworlders? Where is the guarantee that we won't be attacked, that our children won't be slaughtered in their beds?” he heard another shadowhunter shout.

“We have discussed it between our people,” Alec said, watching them all. “We don't only come with a request for a change to your law, we also come with a proposal. In the past our two peoples have had an agreement, we are offering the chance to set up another set of accords between the downworld and the clave. We would set out a new agreement, that those who break the accords will be punished, most severely. You have a choice to make, you can continue to let your people suffer and continue this ridiculous war, a war that nobody wins, not with the amount of destruction that has already been wrought. Or you can revoke your law, sign a new agreement that will protect us all. That is your decision to make. I cant promise that it will be easy to erase hundreds of years of hatred and mistrust between our peoples, or that the change will happen overnight, but we will stand by the agreement, for all of our sakes and the sakes of our children” he shouted.

“And if we don't sign?” he heard someone shout from the back of the gathered shadowhunters.

“Then I will personally take every shadowhunter that has had to reject their mates, including those currently residing in the facility under wrangle island, under my protection,” Alec said, his tone assuring them of the seriousness of his statement. “And when you come for us, it will be you that has decided to murder your own people and the children they will bear. You will be starting a new war that I guarantee you will not win, what you have faced in the past will be nothing compared to what I will bring down on your heads if you bring harm to them, I will make sure of it with my last dying breath. The choice is yours” he said, looking as many as possible in the eye.

“Your mate has already been sentenced, why would you do that for the rest of them?” he heard a man shout from the crowd.

“Magnus Bane is already under my protection” Alec snarled, forgetting himself for a moment. “He is responsible for more than half of you already being able to sleep a full night without wondering if the downworld is coming for you. Are you really going to condemn him for mating me? You would punish the man who has done so much, for so many of you? You would take away the position he has earned, that he has worked so hard for, for his entire life. You can either fight me on this, I will take him and you will lose one of your best shadowhunters or you can agree to revoke his sentence and give him his position back” he said, his tone brooking no argument

“If we give him his position back, what will you do to prove that you are committed to this new set of Accords, Alec Lightwood? It seems to me that you speak for the entire downworld. Are you willing to take responsibility for them all? What will you do to prove that you will stand united with the clave if one of your people breaks the agreement, are we just supposed to take your word for it that you will uphold the new laws? That you will punish transgressors as we will have to?” a woman at the front of the crowd asked him.

“Would you be willing to create a new position for him?” Alec asked, seeing the woman's brow furrow “Would you make him the shadowhunter representative of a new council, a council that consists of representatives of the warlocks, shadowhunter, Seelies, werewolves and night children? He has already brokered so many agreements with downworlders, he has dealt with us many times already and handled your interests in each meeting without reproach” he asked.

“How would a new position for Magnus guarantee that you would punish your people properly?” the woman asked, her eyebrows mashed into a confused line.

“Why would the husband and mate of one of your highest ranking clave members risk his husband's new position?” Alec asked “Magnus, will you marry me?” he asked, never taking his eyes from the woman.

“Yes,” Magnus shouted, not taking his eyes from the woman either. He would ask properly later if his mate could get him out of this mess, he thought to himself as his heart thundered in his chest, having to keep the grin from his face.

“Call it the first of many political marriages if you like, call it what you want but I will take Magnus Bane as my husband” Alec said, looking around at the clave members and the downworlders “and we will stand united against any who break the new accords, shadowhunter or downworlder” he said.

“Will you take the position of warlock representative?” Jia asked, almost smirking at the look of horror that crossed his face before he covered it up, he was already a politician, she thought slyly. “You have spoken for the entire downworld, will you continue to speak for the warlocks?” she asked.

“That would be a decision for the warlock council to make,” Alec thought with an inwards smirk, there was no way Lorenzo Rey would go for that. He already hated being the leader of the downworlders in New York, he didn't want to represent every warlock in this new council.

“You can have it, Lightwood,” Lorenzo said from the crowd of downworlders when he got the nod from the rest of the council. None of them wanted to deal with the shadowhunters any more than they absolutely had to. He smirked when he saw Alec’s mask slip, a look of complete misery on his face.

“Lorenzo, I didn't realise you would be here,” Alec said, trying to be polite in front of the shadowhunters. “And I see you have brought the rest of the council with you,” he said, pulling his mask back on when all he wanted to do was roundhouse the entire council.

“Did you think we would let you… broker this deal without our presence?” Lorenzo asked incredulously. “You made it abundantly clear that you would be coming with or without our permission. You have orchestrated this entire thing, we think it is only fair that you get the pleasure of holding such a prestigious position” he said, grinning at the look Alec gave him, the look that asked him what he thought he was doing before he turned back to the consul.

“I would be happy to accept,” Alec said through his teeth, doing his best to pull a wide smile on his face. “Will you ask your clave to vote, Jia?” he asked, his stomach dropping through the floor from the anticipation as she turned to the clave with a nod.

“You have heard the what the downworlders have proposed,” Jia said to the assembled clave. “Light your stele’s up if you vote yes to revoking Magnus Bane’s sentence, leave them dark if you vote no” she said, lighting her own stele up and daring them to leave their stele’s dark with a look that promised they would be mopping the floors of wrangle island for the rest of their lives. She watched as almost the entire clave voted yes, only a few dark stele's were raised, she took note of those with a predatory grin. She practically skipped to Magnus’ side, taking great pleasure in removing his cuffs and handing him his stele before turning back to the clave.

“Light up your stele’s if you vote yes to change the law that forbids shadowhunters from mating downworlders and ending this war with the downworld” Jia called out, purposely tacking the last part on as she raised her lit stele up and glared around. She saw the looks of hope on the faces of the shadowhunters that had rejected their mates, obvious from the state they were all in, as they raised their lit stele’s. She also saw the apprehensive faces of those who weren't the mates of downworlders. “It is time for a change, it is time for this war to end. We need to try for peace and who are we to deny another their happiness? Who are we to decide for them? I urge you please, vote yes, if not for yourselves, then for your children, so that they might grow up to be more tolerant than our generation, so that they can be better than us, so that we may leave them a better world than the one we were raised in” she asked. 

Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand, watching as the clave voted yes to changing the law, almost unanimously. It was more than he could have hoped for as he realised, after a quick count, that 95% of the clave had voted yes. He let the tears fall as he swept Alec into his arms, crushing his lips to his mates as the entire courtyard erupted. He barely heard the cries of joy, more interested in his beautiful mate as Alec sank into his embrace. He broke from the kiss to stare into his beautiful light grey eyes, kissing the tears from his face as he peppered it with kisses. “You did it, you amazing, wonderful, beautiful man. I love you” he whispered around the huge lump in his throat as he fought the tears back, not wanting them to blur his vision of Alec.

“We did it, and I love you too,” Alec whispered back as he claimed his mates lips once again, kissing him deeply, with everything he had before he broke from the kiss. “Magnus, I have something to tell you. I didn't want to get your hopes up so I didn't say anything, wanting to be sure. Then I spent the last 24 hours kicking myself for not telling you. My heat ended early, that only happens for one reason” Alec said, holding his breath as he searched his Alpha's clueless looking face. He shook his head as Magnus still didn't put it together, leaning forward to whisper in his Alphas ear. “An Omega’s heat only ends early if they get pregnant. I'm not sure yet, but I think we are going to be daddies” he whispered, pulling back to look at his mate.

Magnus gaped at his mate, his eyes dropping down to Alec’s stomach as his mouth flopped open. His heart thundered in his chest, the words his mate had said stealing the breath from his lungs as his gaze flicked back to Alec’s light grey eyes before dropping back to his stomach. They flicked up and down several times, almost like a vertical tennis match before he dropped to his knees, pressing his face gently to Alec’s abdomen as he wrapped his arms around the back of Alec’s legs, holding his world in his arms. His tears soaked into his Omega’s silk shirt. “Is there anyone in there?” he asked of his mate's stomach, looking up when he felt Alec’s fingers comb into his hair. “Thank you” he whispered to his beautiful Omega.

“What are you thanking me for?” Alec asked with a shaky chuckle as he looked down at his mate's tear-stained face, his own tears blurring his vision before he wiped them away. “I don't even know for sure yet, it isn't certain…”

“Of course it is, what else could it be?” Magnus asked like he knew what he was talking about, making Alec shake with laughter as he pulled him up off the ground. He had to grab hold of his Omega as a blur sped past them, almost knocking them off their feet and dragging them from their little bubble. He watched as Chris, oblivious to anyone around him launched himself at a cute blonde vampire, jumping up into his arms and wrapping his legs around the guy's waist to sink into a kiss that would have made Dot blush.

“Hi” Chris whispered as he broke from the kiss to stare into Steven’s beautiful blue eyes, tears falling as he saw nothing but hope and happiness and love there. “Steven Underhill, will you be my Alpha?” he asked, praying that he would say yes. He grinned into it when his mate kissed him again in answer, wrapping his arms tighter around his Alpha’s neck to pull himself closer.

“By the Angel, they look good together,” Dot said from where she was perched on David as he carried her in a piggyback when they reached Alec and Magnus. They watched Chris and his mate sink to the floor, unaware of the crowd surrounding them. Neither of them looked like they gave a fuck! “Get a room” she shouted, pressing her lips to Davids' neck when he howled with laughter. “Look around you, look at what the two of you have done,” she said with pride as she looked at all the couples, crying and laughing, and kissing. “Thank you, both of you, for giving us all our happiness,” she said, her eyes darting back to her parabatai and his mate. She saw the way Magnus was brushing his fingers over Alec’s stomach, a dazed, wondering look on his face. “And thank you, for making my friend happy, uncle Alec,” she said with a sly grin, her shaking matching David's as they roared with laughter at the look on Alec’s face.

“I am so proud of you both” Izzy said as she led the rest of the family over, wrapping her arms around her brother and Magnus. “You did so well, you have both helped so many people” she whispered to them. She had never felt so happy in her long life as she watched them stare into each other's eyes, her family was complete, her brother had finally found his mate!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it sounds like it but this isn't the last chapter, there is more to come.   
> I'll be starting chapter 24 tomorrow x
> 
> also, fuck you Imogen, and your whole fucked up family (middle finger emoji x10)


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I had to use a lot of creative licence for this one as I'm not sure what Wrangel island is supposed to look like

 

“Who is that with Sebastian?” Dot asked when she glanced around at the ruckus coming from behind them. She slid down from her mates back to watch as they all turned. “Maybe someone should help him, that vampire doesn't look too happy,” she said.

“Shit, that’s Roger,” Alec said when he saw who Sebastian was wrestling. He pulled Magnus across the courtyard. “Roger? Are you okay?” he asked when they reached him.

“Where is my mate?” Roger snarled, elbowing Sebastian off him to confront the pair. “Where is my Anna? Everyone else is with their mates, where is she?” he asked desperately, he hadn't been able to find her in the crowd.

“Roger, come with me,” Magnus said, keeping hold of his mates hand as he led Roger to find Jia. He spotted her talking with a red-haired Seelie that looked all of 13, surrounded by other Seelies. “Please excuse the interruption, Jia, may I have a word please?” he asked, with a tight smile for the girl, whoever she was she looked important.

“Magnus, I'm not sure if you have met before, this is the Seelie Queen. Could this wait?” Jia asked, giving the Queen a tight smile.

“Your majesty,” Magnus said with a small dip of his head. She barely looked like she was out of diapers. “Pleases forgive me but the matter is most urgent, may I borrow the consul?” he asked the girl, wanting to be polite, he had a feeling he would be seeing more of her with his new position. He didn't even want to think about that at the moment. He smiled when she just nodded before turning away.

“What is it, Magnus?” Jia asked, a little relieved, she had been begging for a meeting with the court for years and after spending five minutes with the woman, she was regretting every request, that was a snake if ever she had met one. “Who is your friend?” she asked when she saw the angry, desperate-looking man that Magnus had led over to her.

“Jia, this is Roger” Magnus said, introducing the vampire. “Roger’s mate is Annalise Knightborn,” he said, watching her face drop slightly. “I read her file, is she…?” he didn't know how to finish the question in front of Roger. He had read her file but it had suggested she would be de-runed, it hadn't said whether it had actually happened.

“Roger, your mate is one of the shadowhunters that is currently residing in the facility on Wrangel island,” Jia said as gently as she could, flinching at the snarl that ripped from him. “She is is alive but she has been very ill, if you can give me a moment, with Alec’s help Magnus will take you to her,” she said, smiling when Alec nodded. “Magnus, could you gather a couple of shadowhunters, inform them I have a mission for them,” Jia asked before she turned on her heel and left for her office.

“Dot, Chris,” Magnus shouted out to the crowd, his eyes searching until he spotted Dot pulling David after her. “Where’s chr… never mind” he said with a grin as a flushed Chris dragged his mate over, both of them grinning with dazed looks on their faces, he couldn't help sharing a small smile with Alec, giving his hand a squeeze and pulling him closer. “Jia has a mission for us, you can bring your mates” he reassured Chris and Dot when he saw them start to protest.

“Everyone, this is Steven Underhill, my mate” Chris gushed as he introduced them all, managing not to pinch himself at being able to say the words aloud. He smiled when David said they knew each other. “Where are we going?” he asked, pushing his excitement down as he put his shadowhunter face on, he refused to let go of Steve’s hand though, grinning when he felt his mates thumb brush up his hand and over his wrist.

“We are going to Wrangel island, this is Roger Smith, his mate is there,” Alec said, introducing him to the group. He saw the twitch of Roger’s spine when he said they were going for his mate, he felt awful for the guy. He had read the clave file for Anna, he just hoped she would be okay, that Imogen and Malachi hadn’t completely destroyed her. He glanced up from his musings when Jia returned with an Ipad in her hand and motioned them all to follow her.

Jia led the small group to the head of the… room, she thought with a wry grin, she supposed she could ask Alec and his friends to remove the roof but she had to admit, it was a lot warmer. “Ladies and gentlemen” she shouted, trying to get the attention of everyone there without much success. She smiled when Alec waved a hand in front of her throat and told her to speak again.

“Ladies and gentlemen” Jia boomed, almost toppling over in surprise when her voice carried over the crowd. She smiled a tight, sad smile when she saw quite a few downworlders wondering around aimlessly, obviously looking for the mates that weren't there. “If you are a downworlder, looking for your mate, can you please step forward. Magnus and Alec will take you all to Wrangel island, to find your mates. I must warn you all, a lot of them are extremely fragile. You have every right to be angry, but please, your mates will need you all to be calm” she said when a mixture of snarls and growls came from the group that had gathered. She handed the Ipad to Magnus. “This is a list of the shadowhunters that are there, good luck. I’ve sent a fire message, telling the silent brothers that you are on your way, don't want them to think you are all invading” she said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

“David, could you give me a hand?” Alec asked, eyeing the large group of downworlders. He joined hands with his nephew and drew the energy he needed, waving his arm to create a huge portal. He watched as Magnus led them all through, with a glance over his shoulder, to take them to the island. Dot took him and David though last, letting the portal close behind them. “Lillith, this place is bleak,” he said to Magnus, glancing around at the harsh, desolate fortress that rose up above them. He clicked his fingers, producing thick coats for them, seeing other warlocks do the same, to ward off the sleet and hail battering them before taking his mates hand again.

“It’s supposed to be, this is where we send shadowhunters that are an embarrassment to the clave, the ones who don't commit serious enough crimes to be de-runed but still warrant some sort of punishment” Magnus said when he wrapped his fingers around Alec's hand. "if you will all follow me please” he boomed out, leading them onto the long stone bridge that separated the island from the mainland. He kept a tight hold of his mate as the wind battered them, having a heart attack with every other step from the steep drop on either side of them as he led them towards the grey stone fortress. He practically ran the entire way, sighing with relief when they reached the doors and saw the silent brother waiting for them.

‘ _Magnus Bane, my name is Brother Enoch. Jia informed us you were on your way. You and your guests may follow me.”_

They followed Brother Enoch into the fortress, everyone sighing with relief to get out of the bitter cold. Alec glanced around, surprised by the ultra-modern interior. There was glass and gleaming, stainless steel everywhere, a complete contrast to the outside of the building and it was a lot warmer than he had been expecting.

“ _The patients are downstairs. Ladies and gentlemen, they will be released into your care. They have been through a lot and are extremely fragile. We have made them as comfortable as possible, please refrain from making sudden movements or loud noises. It is understandable that you are angry over the treatment of your mates but you must control yourselves, for their sakes. We have set ward's up for them, please be quiet when we take you down there, they don't do well with crowds”_

“Jia has given me a list of the shadowhunters,” Magnus said as another nine silent brothers stepped forward to join Brother Enoch. He passed the Ipad to Dot, watching as she found the correct file and handed it back, scowling at Alec when he stifled a laugh at his appalling lack of technical knowledge.

Magnus glanced down at the file, seeing that the names were listed by ward number. He directed the downworlders in groups of ten to a waiting silent brother, when he saw their names listed along with those of their mate, to be led down to the basement, following the last group. He didn't know any of the other downworlders but he wanted to see that Roger found his mate. He asked Chris and Steven to circulate the ward's, to ensure the others found their mates.

Roger had to control the impulse to dart forward and find his mate by scent, the need for her almost overwhelming his self-control, he could see he wasn't the only one. He forced himself to walk at the silent brothers infuriatingly slow pace, however, mindful of the warning they had been given, as much as he was desperate to see Anna, he didn't want to risk scaring her. He followed his group down a wide stone stairway and through a maze of stark white corridors, the scent of cleaning chemicals assaulting his nose. He almost broke when his mate's scent reached him, overwhelming the smell of chemicals as he drew in the smell of daisies, sea air and fresh cut grass, it was mixed with a lot of other scents, but he would recognise it anywhere.

He followed the group into a long room, lined with beds, five on each side, surrounded by curtains. He didn't need to be directed as he followed Anna's scent, to the back of the room, moving as quickly and silently as possible. He reached out with a trembling hand, taking a deep breath before he pulled the curtain slowly back, to reveal his mate, her nose twitching in her sleep. He moved to sit on the side of the bed, brushing her long, stringy brown hair back from her face as her eyes shot open, fixing on him in an instant. “Anna” he whispered softly as she stared at him.

“It's not real” Anna whispered, shrinking back in her bed when she saw the ghost of her mate sitting on the side of her bed. It had been so long, why were they doing this to her? “Please, leave me alone,” she cried as she scrambled up the bed, it’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real, repeating in her head. “Why are you doing this to me? I was good. I was good. I was a good girl” she screamed, her mind desperately trying to hide from the apparition before her, how did they get his scent?

“Anna, it's me, Roger” he whispered, his chest constricting at the wide-eyed, terrified look on her beautiful face. It felt as though someone had his entire torso in a vice, slowly twisting the lever as she shrank back from him. “Anna, please…”

“I was good, please, stop” Anna begged, flinching when the ghost reached out to her. “I did what you said, no more, please” she screamed, yanking at her hair when she hit the headboard of her bed and curled into a ball, burying her face into her knees. Maybe if she hid, they couldn't show her more pictures of her mate.

Roger wanted so badly to scoop her up when he heard the high, keening scream coming from his mate, mingling with other cries that rang through the room. He looked around, his mind screaming for someone to help him, to tell him what to do to help her.

“Move back a moment, Roger” Dot said, pulling the panicked looking vampire from the bed when she darted forward, her heart breaking for him and for the broken looking woman in the bed. “Anna? My name is Dot, can I sit with you for a little bit?” she asked as she cautiously approached the crying woman.

Anna looked up at the woman speaking to her, she hadn't seen this one before. Her eyes darted around as she continued to sob, he was gone. The thought made her cry harder, great, heaving sobs shaking her entire body. She flinched when the woman sat down.

“Anna, I am going to tell you a story, is that okay?” Dot asked, shuffling a little bit closer as Anna’s eyes continued to search the small cubical. She smiled a gentle smile when the woman nodded. “Once, a brave shadowhunter called Magnus fell in love with a warlock called Alec. The clave didn't want them to be together but they knew that they couldn't live without each other so they fought the clave. They fought with everything they had.” she said softly, watching as Anna’s sobs quietened. “They travelled the world, receiving promises of help from the others like them, promises from the shadowhunters like you,” she whispered, watching as Anna leaned in to catch her words, the woman's eyes still darting around her.

“They saw a lot of shadowhunters, hundreds, that had fallen for downworlders. There were so many, it made Magnus and Alec sad,” she said quietly, inching her hand across the mattress slowly, so as not to spook her. “So they went to the clave and they took a lot of downworlders with them,” she said, reaching out and gently brushing her hands over Annas' knee, “they asked for everyone to help them. They needed a lot of help. They wanted to be together, but the law was stopping them” she whispered, smiling when Anna took her hand in a tight grip.

“With the help of all the downworlders, the ones like them, who couldn't be with the ones they loved, they asked if the clave would make a very important decision,” Dot said, brushing her thumb over the trembling hand that grasped hers tightly, seeing the beautiful wide blue eyes searching her face. “They asked if the clave would change the law so that they could be with their loves,” she said.

“What did the clave say?” Anna asked as she shuffled forward to sit next to the woman, Dot. “did the clave let them be together?” she asked, inhaling the woman's scent, she smelled nice. She could still smell her mate, but she wanted to hear the story.

“They did,” Dot said, shuffling a little closer and putting her arms around the shaking shadowhunters body when she looked at her with a wide beaming smile, a steady stream of tears flowing from her eyes. “But that's not all. They said that all of the downworlders, the ones that had come with Magnus and Alec, could have their loves as well” she whispered around the lump in her throat as she wiped Anna’s tears away. “But there where some downworlders that were sad."

“Why? Why were they sad?” Anna asked with wide eyes, searching the pretty brown eyes that watched her, they should have been happy!

“They were sad because their loves weren't there,” Dot said, giving Anna a small squeeze when the crestfallen look fell across her face. “Their loves were far away, in an old castle. The downworlders were sad, because they had been there a long time, waiting for the ones that they loved to come and rescue them” she said, fighting the tears back when they threatened to fall over at the heartbroken look on Anna’s face.

“What did they do?” Anna asked, wiping Dots tears when they fell. Maybe she was sad because she didn't have her love?

Dot cleared her throat, smiling at the lovely woman looking at her with pity in her eyes. “There was a special downworlder. He was very sad, he missed his love and he wanted to see her so he was brave and he asked to be taken to her,” she said.

“Did they take him? Did he find his love?” Anna asked, looking around as she sniffed the air, a fresh wave of tears falling when she could still scent her mate.

“They did. Magnus and Alec took him to his love” Dot said, wiping the fresh tears from Anna’s face. “They took him to the faraway castle and he finally saw his love, after so long. But she was sad, I think she had missed him very much. When she saw him, she was afraid, maybe she thought he wasn't real. What do you think?” she asked gently.

“Maybe she thought he wasn't real because she had waited so long for him to come for her,” Anna said, taking deep breaths, the scent that smelled like Roger's was nice, it smelled like home. “Maybe they had told her for a long time that she wasn't allowed to have her love,” she said.

“The vampire didn't care what they had told his love,” Dot said cautiously. “He loved her so much that he came for her anyway, as soon as he found out where she was. He had spent a long time looking for her and now he had finally found her. He came to take her away from all the things that had made her sad. He told me that he promised he would spend the rest of his life looking after her and that he would never let anything bad happen to her ever again. He loved her so much and just wanted her to be safe and happy. He told me to ask her if she would give him the chance, he didn't want her to be scared anymore, so he asked me to come and talk to her and ask her if maybe she wanted to see him” Dot said with a smile.

“Did he really come to see her?” Anna asked, searching Dots face, searching for the truth of her words. “Was he real?” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart, he was real” Dot whispered. “he came to take her away and to make her happy. But for him to do that, she had to be brave. She had to be the bravest she had ever been in her life, she had to push the fear away and reach out for the happiness. If she was brave, she would see that he was real, then he would be able to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. He would be able to tell her all of his promises himself, so that she would know they where real and so that they could be happy” Dot said. Stroking her fingers through Anna’s hair when she stiffened in her arms.

“But the girl was brave.” Dot said with a smile as she took Anna’s face in her hands to look her in the eye. ”She had been through so much that she could overcome anything. She could also fight, because the things that she had survived only made her stronger. So she squared her shoulders, she put on her bravest smile and she held her head high because she was a warrior. She knew that if she wanted her happiness, that she would have to dig deep and wear her courage like a shield. Her new friend would stand with her and help her fight for her love. Her new friend promised that she wouldn't leave her until the girl was safe” she said with a gentle nod.

“What if the girl was still afraid” Anna whispered, wiping her tears as she sat up.

“It is okay for the girl to be afraid,” Dot said. “That’s what courage is, it is facing your fears. Being brave doesn't mean not being afraid, it means that you are strong enough to fight, even if the fear steals your breath. You are a warrior Anna, and you have friends that will fight with you, every step of the way. If you get scared, you only have to ask for help. Maybe you could face your fears if I stood with you? What do you think?” she asked.

“Do you promise?” Anna asked.

“Of course I do, I’m not going anywhere,” Dot said, tucking her hair behind her ears and pulling her nightdress straight. “Are you ready to be brave?” she asked, smiling when Anna nodded with a terrified look on her face that she quickly squashed down with a deep breath. She took Anna’s hands in her own and slowly pulled her up from the bed.

Anna did her best to push her fear down as she was led forward. They had told her for so long that she wasn't allowed her mate, what if they took him away? She almost hesitated when the all-consuming fear rose up again before Dot wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod. She took a few more cautious steps forward, peering around the curtain, hope welling up in her when she saw the face that went with the beautiful scent that filled her lungs, the scent of lavender and pine and fresh sea air. She had spent so long crushing that hope inside of her that she didn't know what to do with it.

Dot cautioned Roger back when she saw he was about to take a step forward, tears pouring from his face, Anna had to come to him. She needed to be the one to take those steps, to take her future in her hands or she would spend her life being afraid.

Anna took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders when Dot gave her an encouraging nod. She searched for the courage, finding it when she thought of the first time she had seen Roger, standing in the rain, staring at her as. She had scented him, running headlong down the street to find the source of the scent that had taken a hold of her, not realising that he had done the same. She smiled as she closed her eyes, remembering the way they had come together, as though they had been pulled along by an invisible thread. She took the feelings she had felt that night and put them on like armour, surrounding herself with the memories and the scent of her mate and took a step forward, her eyes snapping open to look at him.

Roger stayed silent, watching the small spark of his Anna enter her eyes when she opened them. He stood stock still, not daring to move. The hope built in his gut with each tentative step she took, forgetting the rest of the room, the rest of the downworlders that were going through similar things, all he could see was his strong, brave, beautiful mate, taking those last few steps.

Anna looked around, seeing Dot standing a few steps behind her, urging her on with a gentle nod and a huge smile. She didn't know who the man that wrapped an arm around her was, but she thought he was a lucky bloke. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Roger, her mate. Her mate who was standing so close she could reach out and touch him. Her mate. The thought had her reaching up, her fingers almost coming to rest against his face. She curled them for a moment, scared that he would disappear before she wrestled up the courage that was buried deep down when she saw the tears in his eyes. She stretched the last inch and brushed her fingers against his cheek. The dam of emotions breaking inside her when he didn't disappear. Her breath exploded from her when she felt him beneath her fingertips, he was real. She threw herself forward, sagging into his embrace when his arms came around her.

“Oh, my darling” Roger whispered into his mates hair when she fell into his arms “I am so so sorry, I promise you, I'll never leave you again. I've got you, my love. I've got you” he whispered, stroking his hands through her hair as he sank to the floor, holding her shaking body in his lap as she sobbed into his neck. He looked up at Dot, blinking furiously to dislodge the tears there to look at her. “Thank you” he whispered, wishing he could speak around the lump in his throat, to convey his thanks properly. He reached up and grabbed her hand, trying to show his gratitude with a squeeze.

Dot squeezed back, brushing her tears away with her free hand as she watched them. She smiled when he let go, watching him rock Anna back and forth in his lap, looking for all the world like he would never let go. She couldn't say she blamed him, Anna was probably the sweetest soul she had ever met, every instinct in her body pushing her to protect the broken woman. She inhaled David's scent when he wrapped himself around her, thanking the Angel that he had refused to let her go, she couldn't imagine what her life would be if he wasn't so strong and stubborn.

“That was well done, Dorothea,” Magnus said, giving his Parabatai’s shoulder a squeeze. He would have asked her where it had come from, having heard every word through the thin curtain, but he knew she had it in her the whole time. He just hoped that she took her own advice, that she wore her courage like armour and let David love her how she deserved to be loved. “My mate and I need to check that everyone has found their mates, are you okay here for a little while?” he asked, smiling when she nodded and turned back to her mate, gazing up at him like he were the only person in her universe, maybe he was already showing her how to let go of the past. He led his mate away, Jia would be expecting a full report.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little something we all need desperately after last night's devastating news, I'm truly gutted. keep using #saveshadowhunters on all of your social platforms people, make enough noise that another network picks our show up. Love you all xxxxxxxx

1 week later…

Alec woke with a lurch, his mouth filling with saliva as his stomach rolled. He slapped a hand over his mouth, searching desperately for something to be sick into, completely forgetting he was a warlock in the process. He stumbled from the bed, leaving Magnus asleep as he ran to the bathroom, almost making it the entire way before his stomach decided it wanted to be empty. He clicked his fingers, producing a bucket just in time.

Magnus shot straight up in bed when the sounds of his Omega being sick woke him, falling out of bed and slamming into the floor in his confusion. He looked around, trying to find the source of the sound that had pulled him from his sleep, wondering why he was on the floor before the sounds of retching hit him again. He crawled to the foot of the bed and looked around to see his naked mate heaving into a bucket. The sight stole his breath and pushed him forward at the same time, did this mean… was it…?

Alec slumped down onto his ass, wiping his mouth with a shaky hand as he stared at the contents of the bucket, the smell making his stomach roll again before he sent the bucket away with a wave of his hand. He looked around, the tears of exertion from being violently sick mixing with tears of relief and joy, surely this meant he was pregnant? He grinned through his tears when he saw his naked Alpha crawling around the end of their bed, a look of hope and wonder on his face.

“Alexander? Does this mean…?” Magnus asked, not daring to say the word. He shuffled across the hardwood floor, unable for the moment to rise to his feet when he saw the massive grin on Alec’s face. He scooped his mate up onto his lap and stared down at his stomach before his eyes darted up to Alec’s.

“I think so, what else could it be?” Alec asked, slamming his lips to Magnus’ their tears mixing where their skin met as he opened up for his mate at the flick of his Alpha’s tongue. There was no fight for dominance, their tongues worked together naturally in a desperate kiss, each trying to convey the love and happiness they felt, only breaking the kiss when they were both gasping for air. He giggled when Magnus spun him on his lap, wrapping his legs around his Alpha’s waist and tugging the back of his hair to tilt his head back. He claimed Magnus’ lips once more when he saw the dilation of his pupils.

Magnus put everything into the kiss, trailing his fingers down Alec’s spine and cupping his ass. He grinned against his lips when his mates hips bucked in his lap, probably due to the hardness of the cock that was practically wedged between his ass cheeks. He let out a moan when Alec rolled his hips with a wicked grin. “If you keep doing that I won't be able to control myself, Alexander” he murmured against Alec’s lips.

“Good” Alec whispered, grinding down once more with a giggle at the growl that rumbled through his Alpha’s chest. He shrieked with laughter when he suddenly found himself flat on his back on the floor, gazing up at Magnus as he crawled over him. His breath huffed out when he felt his mates tongue on the mating bite on his neck, stuttering out as tingles shot up and down his spine. He hooked a leg up around Magnus’ back, lifting his hips off the floor to grind their cocks together. “So hard for me, alpha,” he said with a smirk.

“I'm always hard for you, love” Magnus growled into Alec’s ear, taking it in his mouth and nibbling the outer shell. He grinned when he heard his mate's shallow breathing. “I'm not the only one that's hard” he whispered, jerking his hips down against his mate's cock as he trailed kisses down his neck, sucking on the sharp ridge of his mate's collarbone when he reached it.

“Magnus?” Alec huffed out, trailing his hands up and down his mates back as he tipped his head back. “Remember when you asked me to remind you how hard these floors are?” he muttered through the pleasure of Magnus’ lips kissing every inch of his chest and stomach.

“Mmhmm” Magnus muttered as he kissed his mate's stomach, trailing his lips across the muscled skin, grinning into his stomach as he imagined it round with his baby. The thought stole his breath. He gave his mate's hip bone a lingering kiss before dipping his head and licking a stripe up the underside of Alec’s dick, watching it twitch when he blew hot air over it with a huge grin before taking his long, hard length into his mouth. He pushed his head down savagely, forcing the head of his Omega's dick into the back of his throat, trying to relax his gag reflex.

“Fuuuuuck, Magnus!” Alec muttered, twirling his fingers through his mate's hair as his hips twitched. The feeling of his mate's throat, tightening around his dick as Magnus convulsively tried to swallow was unbelievable! “Shit, are you trying to get me to come in three seconds flat? Because its working” he muttered, his hips jerking up when Magnus pulled up, trying to chase his mate's mouth.

Magnus laughed before giving his mate's cock a few more licks, getting it nice and wet. “Lube?” he murmured before he sank back down on it, holding his hand out. He smirked when Alec clicked his fingers before the weight of the bottle landed in his hand. He looked his mate in the eye as he squirted it on his fingers, with a sly grin, and tossed the bottle aside. He watched the surprised look spread across Alec’s face as he reached back and started to massage the slippery liquid into his own asshole.

“What are you doing?” Alec asked, his surprised expression turning to a smirk as he raised his eyebrow. He levered himself up on to his elbows to watch his Alpha lube himself up. “Turn around, I want to watch,” he said, his eyes twinkling when Magnus did as he said, straddling his legs to give him the perfect view.

“Like what you see?” Magnus asked with a smirk over his shoulder, watching the way Alec’s eyes were zeroed in on his ass. He winced slightly as he sank a finger in, stopping for a moment to let himself get used to the feeling. “You're a secret pervert, aren't you, Alexander?” he asked, laughing at the sparkle in his mate's eye and the huge grin that had spread across his face.

“Why wouldn't I be? Look at what I get to perve on!” Alec said, sitting up and pressing kisses to the runes on his mates back, grinning into Magnus’ skin as he heard his breath getting shallower. He looked down, watching his Alpha finger himself open where he knelt over his legs. “You look so fucking hot with your fingers buried in that pretty ass of yours, sweetheart” he growled.

“It'll look even prettier with your dick buried in it” Magnus huffed out as he added a third finger. He smirked at how tight he was, knowing it would increase his mate's pleasure. “Why don't you show your Alpha what you've got?” he challenged his mate.

“Are you sure you're ready for me?” Alec asked, getting up on his knees and slapping his mate lightly on the ass. He laughed when Magnus’ hips bucked at the light contact, he’d had a feeling his mate would like it. He rubbed the spot as he watched Magnus pull his fingers out and reach up to steady himself on the footboard of the bed. “Are you sure you want this, Magnus?” he asked, wanting to be certain.

“I want you to fuck me good and hard,” Magnus said over his shoulder with a wink. He ground back on Alec’s dick, moaning when Alec brought his hand down on his ass again, fuck! “Yes, fuck me and spank me” he muttered, moaning again when his mate grabbed his hips.

Alec lined his cock up with his mate's asshole, smearing some of the lube on the head of his cock before slowly pushing in “fuck, shit, you're so fucking tight!” he muttered as he sank in slowly, inch by inch, to fill his mates ass up. “Are you okay? Is it too much?” he asked when he heard Magnus gasp out.

“Yes, it’s okay” Magnus muttered, it had been a long time since anyone had fucked him, he thought it best not to mention that though. “Start moving, I need that dick of yours buried in my prostate,” he said, reaching down and tugging at his dick.

“Hands off, Alpha,” Alec said, bringing his hand down on the other ass cheek, the one that wasn't reddening slightly. He rubbed a soothing circle into the mark his hand had made, sending a little spark of magic into his skin to soothe it. “Do you like it when your Omega fucks and spanks you?” he asked as he withdrew his hips slowly, letting Magnus get used to the movement.

“Fuck yeah” Magnus muttered, moaning loudly when his mate pushed back into him. He gripped the footboard harder, his knuckles turning white, and pushed back, needing the friction on his prostate. “Do it again” he moaned.

Alec started up a steady rhythm of thrusts and slaps, pushing a little magic out through his hand to soothe him after each slap. The combination of his dick sinking into his Alpha’s tight, warm hole and the beautiful red blush on each cheek was breathtaking, who knew he was into it? He gripped his mates hips when his own pleasure picked up, his heart racing from the sensations shooting into his balls as the tight ring of muscle squeezed every inch of him.

“Fuck me, fuuuuuck, by the Angel” Magnus screamed, slamming his ass backwards, his mate had found his prostate! He wiggled his ass, trying to prolong the contact every time Alec slammed into his ass, twitching with every graze. “That. feels. So. good” he moaned at each thrust when they only came faster. He could barely breathe from the pleasure. “Shit, Alexander, I'm not going to last much long… longer” he moaned when Alec swivelled his hips slightly, fuck!

“Come for me, my love,” Alec said, giving his mates ass a final slap as he slammed his hips forward, feeling his own orgasm approaching. He pounded into his mates ass a few more times before his balls tightened, slamming his hips forward and pulling Magnus’ back at the same time. He held his mate tightly, pushing himself as close as possible as he emptied into his gorgeous asshole with a scream, unable to get close enough.

“Fuck, ALEXANDER” Magnus roared, pushing back as far as possible as he spurted all over the floor, his eyes slamming closed at the force of his orgasm. He pushed his head down into his arm to ride it out as his thighs shook. He grunted when Alec collapsed onto his back, feeling his ragged breath stutter over the skin at the nape of his neck. “Hey, watch the baby” he groaned as an aftershock ran through him. 

Alec laughed, as he tried to get his breath back, pressing his lips to his Alphas sweaty neck. “We don't know for sure ye… wait, is that why you wanted me to fuck you? Where you scared of hurting the baby if you fucked me?” he asked, propping himself up on his mates back to stare down at him.

“Yes, that and I like to be fucked,” Magnus said, trying to look at his mate over his shoulder, seeing his beautiful glowing silver eyes. “What are you laughing at?” he asked with a frown.

“You, you are so adorable!” Alec chuckled, pressing a kiss to his mate's cheek. “You wouldn't hurt the baby, if its there, it's probably about the size of my thumbnail, if that,” he said, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist and kissing between his shoulder blades. He pulled out of his mates' ass, wincing at the groan he let out.

“How do we find out if there's a baby?” Magnus asked, desperate to know for sure. He tried to turn around and sit down until his smarting ass hit the floor, he lurched up with a yelp, having almost forgotten in his hast to find out.

“Shit, Magnus, did I hurt you? Was it too much?” Alec asked in a panic, pushing Magnus down onto his stomach to inspect his red ass. “Sorry, sorry” he murmured when Magnus landed face first on the floor with a grunt, grabbing his ass to steady him.

“Raziel! Are you trying to finish me off?” Magnus muttered into the floor. He lay there while Alec pushed his magic into his ass, sighing with relief as the sting faded. “So, how do we find out?” he asked when his mate finished.

“I'll ask Izzy to do a scan with her magic,” Alec said, bouncing up off the floor and dragging his Alpha up in his excitement. “After some breakfast, I'm starving,” he said. He raised his hand to produce something to eat, stopping when he saw the look on his Alpha’s face. “Can you get me some breakfast please, Alpha?” he asked, watching as Magnus’ face lit up. He could have easily gotten it himself but if it made his mate happy to feed him, them? Him? Who was he to stop him?

“Of course I can love,” Magnus said, glowing as he pulled his mate from the bedroom. “Erm, Alexander, could you, you know…?” he asked, gesturing down when he felt his mates come dripping out of his ass and down his leg. He shook his head at the evil grin that spread across his mates face as he pretended to think about it, sighing with relief when Alec cleaned him up with a click of his fingers. “What do you want to eat?” he asked.

“Anchovy and peanut butter omelette please,” Alec said, sitting at the island. “What?” he asked when a look of disgust passed over his mate's face. He watched as Magnus grabbed a pan and started rifling for ingredients, silently clicking his fingers under the counter, conjuring the ingredients while Magnus wasn't looking.

Magnus worked in silence, stealing glances at his mate to avoid looking in the pan. He fought the urge to gag when the smell wafted up, especially when his mate approached and poured a large splash of vinegar into the mixture, vile! He slid the omelette onto a plate and placed it in front of him, watching it disappear faster than the glamour that covered his eyes when he lost his temper. He almost laughed when Alec looked at the empty plate as though someone had swiped it. Turning the hob back on and making him another.

“Aren't you having any?” Alec asked, beaming when his mate put another plateful in front of him. He stuffed it in happily, snarfing it down before Magnus decided he wanted some, he wasn't sharing! He looked up at his Alpha, staring at him with an odd look on his face.

“I’m not hungry,” Magnus said. Was he serious? He was just about holding the meagre contents of his stomach down. He grinned when Alec finished the plate and made it vanish with a click of his fingers, that was one of the best things about being mated to a warlock, no dishes!

“Come on, I want to go,” Alec said, dragging Magnus back to their room and diving into the closet, almost grabbing an outfit that didn't match in his haste. He laughed at the thought as he grabbed a purple pinstripe button down, a pair of black skinny jeans and a black silk vest. “You know, you can hang those in the closet?” Alec asked when he came out of the closet and saw his mate pulling clothes out of his suitcase.

“What, in the spare inch you cleared for me?” Magnus asked with a chuckle as he quickly changed into black combat pants a white t-shirt, a concession to his mate who was determined to ‘bring a bit of colour’ to his wardrobe, and a black leather jacket. “There's no point anyway, the cottage will be finished soon,” he said.

“It’s going to take them at least another week,” Alec said with an eye-roll as he pulled his boots on. “Lethabo’s family are meticulous, they won't let us in there until it is finished,” he said. They had decided to build a house in Idris, to be close to the new council hall that was being built there. With both of them taking positions on the council they had compromised with Jia’s requests that they live in Alicante and instead, had decided to build on the plains, refusing to live in the city. They had wanted the space and Magnus had refused to let him live amongst the shadowhunters.

“I've never seen anything like it,” Magnus said with a shake of his head. As soon as they had announced the move, Lethabo had disappeared through a portal and returned 20 minutes later with 30 warlocks. Apparently, it was a custom for the entire family to get together and build the new couple a house when one of the family found a mate. They had taken over the construction of the house, using magic to build it, after getting into a furious argument about the style it should have been built in. they had built and destroyed three different houses before asking what they wanted. “I've got to say, it looks amazing though,” he said, wrapping his arms around his mate and pressing a kiss to his lips.

“Stop it, we've only just gotten dressed, don't make me take these clothes off,” Alec said, grinning against his mates lips. He laughed at Magnus' pout before waving his arm and creating a portal, pulling Magnus through to Izzy’s.

**

Izzy almost poured her coffee over herself when the portal opened up into her living room. She jumped up just as her brother lurched out of it, clutching his hand over his mouth and bolting out into the hallway. “Magnus…?” she asked when she saw him frowning after him with a concerned look on his face before she heard the sounds of retching coming from down the hallway. “Is he okay… MAGNUS!” she yelped as she listened to the loud noises coming from down the hallway, Magnus darting after her brother.

“Are you okay, love?” Magnus asked when he reached the bathroom. He darted forward, rubbing circles into his mates back as he puked again. “please, no more of those anchovy omelettes,” he begged when Alec sank back, wiping his mouth.

“It wasn't the omelette, it was the portal” Alec muttered, smiling gratefully when his mate grabbed the mouthwash off the shelf and handed it to him. “I felt my stomach go when I walked through it, and that omelette was delicious!” he said, looking up at his sister when she poked her head around the door.

“Alec! Is it morning sickness? Are you pregnant?” she shrieked, getting the words out before he could stop her. She had been trying to ask him for the last week but every time she opened her mouth he would stop her. “It is, isn't it?” she screamed, jumping up and down when he didn't deny it. “GET UP” she hollered, running down the hallway to wake everyone. She grabbed her phone to text David and Dot.

“Izzy, stop! We don't know yet!” Alec shouted after her with a shake of his head. He leaned into it when Magnus pulled him up off the floor and wrapped his arms around him. “She will be insufferable if I'm not pregnant” he muttered into his mate's neck.

“She’ll be insufferable if you are,” Magnus said, laughing when Alec just nodded into his neck. “Why don't we go and find out?” he asked, leading Alec back into the living room, to face the gathering crowd.

“Lillith! Izzy, did you have to fetch everyone?” Alec asked taking in Olivia, Lethabo, Simon, Dot and David, all of them still in their pyjamas. He looked up at the clock on the wall, realising that it was only six in the morning. 

“So, are you?” Izzy asked, ignoring his question as she conjured them all coffees, of course she had to fetch everyone.

“We don't know yet, will you check?”Alec asked, flinching when she squealed. He jumped back when she ran at him, grinning when Magnus pushed him behind his back.

“control yourself, Isabelle!” Magnus snarled, almost elbowing her away from his mate. He had to reign himself in, reminding himself that she was his mate's sister and not a threat when he saw her running straight at him.

“Sorry, sorry,” Izzy said, calming herself and chucking the cushions off of the couch, clearing a space for her brother to lie down. She smiled when he lay down and pulled his shirt up. She placed her hands on his abdomen and closed her eyes, sending her awareness down into his body. She zeroed in on his uterus, trying to keep the smile from her face, not wanting to give anything away when she found the multiplying cluster of cells there. “YOU’RE PREGNANT” she screamed, unable to help herself, her plan of dragging it out completely forgotten.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!“ Magnus shouted, pulling Alec up from the couch and spinning him around, almost shaking him in his excitement. He kissed every inch of his face that he could, not caring that everyone was laughing at him. “We're going to be daddies!” he shouted at them. He looked into his mates shining light grey eyes, seeing the tears there “we are going to be daddies” he whispered to his mate.

Alec sank his face into Magnus’ neck, the words sinking into his stunned brain. He had spent so long wanting his own children that he had expected her to say that he wasn't pregnant, that it had been a fluke. He sobbed into his mate's shoulder, thanking every angel and demon that he was going to be a father, relief flooding through him in waves.

“Congratulations!” Dot shouted, running at them and practically throwing herself at the couple. It was everything Magnus had ever wanted, he had done so much, putting everyone else before himself and now it was his turn for happiness. “Congratulations, I'm so happy, for both of you,” she said, hugging the life out of both of them. It wasn't long before the rest of the family descended on them, everyone trying to hug and congratulate them.

Magnus couldn't help the growl rumbling through his chest. “You're all squashing them, get off!” he growled, throwing elbows left and right to save his mate from being crushed by them all. He pulled Alec into his side, glaring around until they all backed off. “Don't squash my baby,” he said, placing his hand on alec’s abdomen, trying to shield his stomach from them.

“Ha, he’s started already!” Simon crowed, smirking at the scowl on Magnus’ face. “That was the last hug any of us are getting for the next nine months, we won't be able to get near him until he’s had the baby,” he said, laughing at the grin Alec tried to hide.

“I don't know what you're laughing at,” Izzy said, turning on her mate, Magnus was protecting his family, as it should be. “I remember you biting several people when they tried to come near me while I was carrying these two,” she said, gesturing to her children.

“Dad! You didn't!” David asked, staring at his kind, caring father, he would be blushing if he were able. “Well I won't have that problem when it's my turn,” David said, wrapping Dot up in his arms and smiling down at her.

“Yeah, okay” Magnus snorted, Dot not protecting him, that was a laugh. As terrified as she would likely be, she would try to destroy anyone that came within a ten-foot radius of David when he got pregnant. “Are you looking forward to being a grandmother, Izzy?” he asked slyly, shaking his head at the way her face lit up, the spoilsport.

“Yes, I can't wait!” Izzy shrieked, almost fainting at the thought. She stared at her children expectantly, almost waiting for one of them to announce that they were pregnant. “I want at least five, from each of you,” she said with a smirk, there was nothing like piling the pressure on to get results, she thought.

“Yes… well… I err… I have to return to the institute, it won't run itself” Dot said, not comfortable discussing it with Izzy. She approached Magnus and Alec cautiously to give them another hug.

“I'll come in and check in on you later,” Magnus said, allowing her to give each of them a quick hug. She had been offered the position of head of the New York Institute when Chris had turned it down. He had explained that his mate was going to turn him, Jia accepting his resignation with a heavy heart, she had understood though, he wanted to be with his mate. Dot had accepted when David had volunteered to keep Alec’s store running, turning it into a proper family business, deciding it was time to settle down. 

“Spend some time with your mate, you deserve a few days off, Magnus,” Dot said, laughing when Alec vehemently agreed with her. “Besides, your both going to need it when you have to sit through the signing of the accords next week,” she said with a grin.

“Ugh, don't remind me, I've had to talk to Lorenzo Rey every day this week,” Alec said, scowling at the ridiculous demands the warlock council kept coming up with. “I swear, if I have to listen to one more ‘request’, I'm going to chop that ponytail off and use it to dust the apartment. Oh um, Lethabo, do you think we could add a nursery to the floorplan for the cottage?” he asked when he realised he hadn't seen one on the plans Lethabo had shown them.

“I already added one” Lethabo said with a grin, chuckling when he saw the confused frowns on Magnus and Alec’s faces. “Did you really think that was a walk in closet next to your bedroom, it's almost bigger than your room,” he said with a laugh.

“Well, if neither of us has work to do, maybe we should go and... do some packing,” Magnus said, pulling Alec in a little tighter and running his fingers down his mate's spine.

“Um, yeah, we should definitely do some… packing” Alec agreed, waving goodbye to them all and creating a portal for him and Magnus. He dragged his mate through, choosing to ignore the sniggers that followed them, they had some… packing to do, he thought with a grin.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello from Cyprus! the wifi is a bit spotty but I manage to get a bit now and then, so here is a chapter for you. I hope everyone is looking after themselves! someone asked the other day if I would stop writing ff if we cant #saveshadowhunters, the answer is, I would never stop writing for our boys, plus, I've got at least another 6 planned for after this lol. take care of yourselves!

 

1 week later…

“Are you ready for this?”Alec asked, perching on Magnus’ desk as he gathered the files, he saw the determined look on his mates face, the determination to take no shit from the downworlders they were meeting with. “remember, stay calm and don't try to rip the arms from anyone that tries to shake hands with me” he said with a chuckle.

“I know, I know, I’ll try my best but Meliorn had best not try anything. I haven't forgotten the last time” Magnus said, giving his mate a quick kiss on the lips and one on the stomach, his face softening for a moment as he lingered. “I swear, if he tries that again, Seelie representative or not, daddy will fucking end him, won't he sweet pea?” he asked with a grin.

“Language! Just remember, you are representing the clave,” Alec said with a chuckle, pulling Magnus from the room and closing the door of his own office, across the hall from Magnus’ He pulled his mate down the corridor to the meeting room. “We are trying for peace if you ‘end him' it will reflect on the clave” he whispered as they entered the meeting room. He glanced around, smiling at Maia and Raphael, and reserving a nod for Meliorn, the elected council representatives for the downworld.

“Gentlemen, lady,” Magnus said with a nod to Maia, a small smile ghosting his lips when she smirked. “Thank you for your patience, shall we begin?” he asked, keeping the growling to a minimum when handshakes were exchanged. He tried not to glare at the Seelie when the five of them took their seats around the table and his lips started flapping, his opening line already setting him on edge.

“What is happening with Imogen Herondale? I assume she is being dealt with accordingly?” Meliorn asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

“Of course she is, she is being put to death,” Magnus said as he glanced around. “Trust me, that is no small thing. The clave really wanted to see her suffer first so they punished the rest of her family and made her watch, 25 shadowhunters lost their runes yesterday, she was quite… distressed” Magnus said, remembering her screams. “She will be burned today,” he said.

“Burned?” Meliorn asked, a frown on his face, did he mean…?

“It is the punishment we reserve for the worst offenders,” Magnus said as he looked all of them in the eye, ensuring they understood the severity of the punishment. “When a member of the clave breaks our strictest laws, or they betray the clave, we burn them alive. When we said we would punish transgressors that break the accords, we weren't kidding” he said.

Alec excused himself from the table, dashing out into the hall before he let his panic consume him. Magnus would be burned alive if they had discovered that he had told him about the wish from their angel! The thought had him gasping for air. In all of the scenarios he had imagined for his mate that night, none of them had come close to the horror Magnus had just described. He clutched his stomach, trying to force the image from his mind. He looked up through his tears when Magnus’ arms came around him. “I'm sorry, I just… I… is that what would happen to you? Would they…?” he broke off with a sob, Burying his face in his Alpha’s scent glands, using his scent to try and stop the sobs from racking his body, he had been extra emotional over the last few days.

“Hey, it’s okay, please, don't cry,” Magnus said, stroking his fingers through the hair on the back of Alec’s head. He hadn't thought about the effect the words would have on his mate before he had spoken them. “That won't happen, okay? I'm here, I’m safe” he whispered, holding his Omega until he stopped crying.

“I’m sorry, I can't help it,” Alec said, smiling a weak smile, leaning into the touch when Magnus wiped his tears away. “I’m okay,” he said, kissing his mates palm.

“Put your game face on, love, I’m sure they can sniff out any weakness from a mile away” Magnus whispered, mindful of the sensitive hearing of the others. “Are you ready?” he asked, urging his mate on with a reassuring smile.

“Sure,” Alec said, wiping the last of his tears away. He squared his shoulders and marched back into the room, hoping his face wasn't too puffy. “I apologise, where were we?” he asked, taking his seat next to Magnus.

“As per the discussions we have had all week, Alexander has drafted a document, listing the new laws we must agree upon,” Magnus said, watching as the files he had brought in found their way to each of the leaders with a wave of his mates hand. “Thank you. If you will open the files and read through the list, we can discuss any amendments that need to be made” he said, smiling when they all nodded, opening his own file and starting to read through the list.

“Number three, I know this is set up to protect our people,” Maia said as she read through the statements they were to sign their names too, “ _no shadowhunter shall cause harm to a downworlder without due cause._ As the representative for the werewolves, it is my job to ensure that my people are safe, can we clarify exactly what due cause constitutes?” she asked.

“That pertains to statements two, _no downworlder shall cause the harm to a mundane, with the intent to kill them_ ,” Magnus said “and four, _no downworlder shall cause harm_ _to a shadowhunter without due cause._ In other words, a downworlder or shadowhunter may defend themselves against an attack but may not purposely commit any act by which they willingly or knowingly cause the death of another” he said, looking around when she nodded.

“Maybe we should amend statement two to include shadowhunters,” Maia said. “None of us should be allowed to harm mundanes, which includes biting or turning them without their consent” she added, holding her own people as accountable as Raphael’s.

“Agreed,” Magnus said, making a note of her suggestions.

“And how do we prove that there was no intent to cause harm?” Luke asked. “I am assuming it will be up to the defendant to prove their innocence, how do they do that?” he asked.

“I have spoken to Jia about this” Magnus said. “She has agreed that the soul sword will be used to determine the person or person’s guilt. It will not cause harm to a downworlder, as long as they tell the truth,” he reassured them when he saw the protests. “This will become statement nine,” he said, jotting it down when they agreed.

“Statement number five,” Raphael said. “ _All cases where either shadowhunter or downworlder has purposely committed a crime shall be tried by the council._ How do you propose we find ALL shadowhunters and downworlders that have committed a crime? Its a bit unrealistic don't you think? Can we amend it to those who are caught?” he asked hopefully, his vampires loved a loophole.

“That is like saying commit as many infringements as you want, just don't get caught,” Luke said with a shake of his head. “The problem is policing the shadow world. Do we only make shadowhunters responsible for that? I cant see that going down well with our people, it hasn't so far. Do we join them? or do we trust that each of us can control our people?” he asked.

“I think it should mainly be up to us to control our own people, to ensure they follow the new laws,” Magnus said. “But, I think it is important for us to combine our efforts when they actually break them. It will show our people a united front, that we will work together to bring criminals to justice. Perhaps we should make that statement number seven?” he asked, noting it down when they all agreed.

“I don't like number six either,” Raphael said with a frown. “ _Vampires can’t feed on mundanes._ They are our food source if we don't feed on them, how are we supposed to survive?” he asked, looking around the table.

“You know full well that you can survive on blood from the blood banks, Raphael,” Alec said. “There is no need for you to feed on mundanes, it is not as though you don't already use the blood banks,” he said.

“A very small minority of us don't like our blood straight from the vein and use the blood banks, but that is through choice” Raphael muttered, shuddering at the thought of living off baggies for the rest of his existence, only weirdos refused to drink from the vein. “This is forcing the majority of us that do feed properly, taking our choice away. Will we be hauled up in front of the council if we slip, if we can't control ourselves?” he asked, his eyebrow raised in a silent challenge.

“That is the reason for statement two, Raphael,” Magnus said, narrowing his eyes at the vampire. “That is not a written invitation to feed on mundanes, it may say, with the _intent_ to kill them but it doesn't mean you can go around feeding on them. It is a shadowhunters job to protect the mundanes, we can not budge on this one” he said.

“And if a mundane gives us permission?” Raphael asked, schooling his expression.

“That is up to them, but they must give their consent, without any outside influences,” Magnus said, seeing right through the clan leader. “They may not be incanto’d into giving permission. That is definitely something that will land a vampire before the council” he said.

“And are we to burn our people, as the clave does?” Meliorn asked. “Are we to set our own people on fire? You do know how barbaric that is, don't you? My Queen will not accept that kind of punishment” he said.

“It should be up to us to decide on punishments,” Maia said, shuddering at the thought of setting someone on fire. “But no burning! We can make that statement ten” she said, sighing with relief when everyone agreed

“Then we should make a majority vote statement number eleven,” Luke said. “Any decisions that are made must be voted with a majority of three before they are implemented, it is the only fair way to make decisions and no council members vote can override the others,” he said, watching as Magnus wrote it down when everyone agreed.

“What about number seven? _The council will stand united against all transgressors_ ” Raphael asked. “When you say all transgressors?”

“It means that if someone from a single race turns into a megalomaniac like Imogen did, for example, we will stand united against them. We will change that to number eight” Alec said, looking each of them in the eye. “There will be no standing by our people when they commit the kind of atrocities she did. We stand as one, we take them down. We need to be fair, and taking the side of one of our own against the council shall be prohibited” he said.

“So what you are saying is that we can not defend our own people?” Meliorn asked incredulously.

“Of course that's not what he is saying,” Magnus said, glaring at the Seelie knight. “If the council were already formed when Imogen’s crimes were discovered, what would you have said if I had defended her, simply because we are both shadowhunters?” he asked.

“That is not the point” Meliorn retorted. “You are telling us…”

“I am saying that crimes like that have no defence” Magnus interjected. “If one of our people decide they don't like our laws, we stand united, they are not a shadowhunter, warlock, vampire, werewolf or Seelie, they are a criminal and shall be treated as such. How can we expect our people to trust that we are working in all of their best interests if we let one or two slip through the cracks?” he asked them all.

“And this applies to your shadowhunters too?” Meliorn asked, his eyebrows in his hairline. “You are saying if it is one of your people, that they will be punished the same way a downworlder will?” he asked.

“Of course, we shall all be held to the same standards, there is not one race that is above the others,” Magnus said. “We stand united or this will never work, one shadow world, one rule, no exceptions. Which leads me to statement number one. No member of the council is above the law” he said.

“Meaning that every one of us in this room is held to the exact same standard as our people,” Alec said. “None of us is exempt if any of us break the laws, we will lose our position on the council and be punished as severely as our people,” he said, silently daring any of them to disagree.

“As long as our own people get to elect a new representative, I am okay with that” Meliorn said, noting the surprised look on everyone's faces. “What? It is a fair point. That can be statement number twelve” he said haughtily, not realising that they were surprised at his agreement and not the point he was trying to make.

“I would like to add a thirteenth statement,” Magnus said as he glanced around at them all. “I would like to add that we are to sign a new agreement every ten years, to show our commitment to this change,” he said, smiling when they all nodded.

“Actually, I have another suggestion for number thirteen,” Maia said with a grin. “I think that we should make it a law that downworlders and shadowhunters are allowed to mate each other and that the clave cannot renege on the change they made,” she said.

Magnus and Alec shared a sheepish look before Magnus wrote it down, both of them wondering why neither of them had thought to make it a law. The clave could have changed their minds at any time, with it being made a law, however, there was no way for them to do that. They all smiled at that one.

“I would also like to add another” Alec said, a little apprehensively, knowing it wouldn't go down well with the others. “If any race knows of one of their people breaking the law, it must be reported to the council,” he said, holding his hands up when they started to protest. “Turning a blind eye to other people’s transgressions has caused to much harm already. Look at Imogen’s family, if one of them had reported her, it would have saved a lot of trouble and no small amount of heartbreak. We cannot allow that to happen again. If any of us knew that another was killing people, torturing them, should we not feel obliged to report it? Why should our people be any different? They may not like it, but without everyone's cooperation, this will fail and we will be back at square one, at each other's throats. It is the only way” he said, sighing with relief when they all saw sense.

“Alexander makes an excellent point,” Magnus said, receiving a few eye-rolls. “The whole point of the accords is that we get to live in peace, it won't be easy implementing the changes but it is necessary. Without the cooperation of everyone, we don't stand a chance. If that means we have to report transgressors, then so be it” he said.

“Would anyone like to add anything else before we sign?” Alec asked, smiling when they all answered no. He took a piece of paper and set the new accords out in a magically binding contract, implementing all the additions and ammendments. He duplicated it six times so that each of them could have a copy and a sixth could be hung in the council hall. He looked down at his copy, reading the new laws out loud.

 

  1. No council member is above the law
  2. No shadowhunter or downworlder shall cause harm to a mundane with the intent to kill
  3. No downworlder may turn a mundane without their express consent
  4. No shadowhunter shall cause harm to a downworlder without due cause
  5. No downworlder shall cause harm to a shadowhunter without due cause
  6. All cases where a shadowhunter or downworlder has committed a crime shall be tried by the council
  7. Vampires may not feed on mundanes
  8. Each race shall police their own people
  9. The council will stand united against all transgressors
  10. In any instance where a person’s guilt cannot be determined, the Mortal sword shall be used to prove their innocence
  11. The council will have final say over all punishments
  12. No council member may overrule another
  13. The council must agree by a majority of three on all decisions that affect the shadow world
  14. All members of the shadow world may take their rightful mate
  15. Any shadowhunter or downworlder that knows of a crime being committed is obligated to report it to the council
  16. A new set of accords shall be signed every ten years, by each race, to show their commitment to the agreements that have been set out today



“Is everyone in agreement?” Alec asked, smiling when they all nodded. He signed his name to each piece of paper, binding his people to the agreement before handing them to his mate. He watched as each person signed, even Meliorn. “We have our new laws, this is progress,” he said with a grin as smiles broke out on each of the faces before him. Now they just had to implement them.

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> good morning or night wherever you are! here's something soft to get you all through the next rounds of tweeting #SaveShadowhunters #SaveTheShadowWorld x

“Come on! I want to see it” Izzy said, almost bouncing on the spot in her excitement. “Is that all you’re taking, Magnus?” she asked as she stared at the two suitcases and the single box next to his feet. She watched as her brother waved his hand, sending the piles of boxes, bags and suitcases to their new home.

“That’s all I own,” Magnus said, shaking his head at the pitying look on her face. “My job was to travel the world, it was not conducive to collecting piles and piles of stuff, like your brother,” he said with a wink, jumping back from the elbow his mate aimed at him.

“Hey! Need al tha tuff” Alec muttered around the huge mouthful of pastrami and anchovy sandwich he was stuffing down, shaking his head when they both stared at him with raised eyebrows. He swallowed before clarifying. “I said, I need all that stuff, I'm a warlock, remember? Plus, I've been alive almost 300 years, I was bound to collect a few mementoes” he said with a glare before his face brightened, remembering he still had some of his sandwich in his hand, he stuffed another colossal bite in with a sigh of contentment.

“A few? There's enough to fill your store ten times over!” Magnus said incredulously. He would have dearly loved to kiss his mate but the strong smell of the vinegar he had doused his sandwich in was turning his stomach. “I don't even know where you put it all,” he said, scratching his head as he glanced around the two-bed apartment Alec had lived in for the past seventy years.

“It was in here,” Alec said, waving his hand once more and grinning at the confused look on his mates face when a door appeared next to the front door of the apartment. He watched with amusement as Magnus walked over to the door and peeked inside.

“Raziel!” Magnus exclaimed, staring into the empty cavernous… room? Hall? Cave? That had appeared with a wave of his mate’s hand. “Can you just summon anything with that magic of yours?” he asked as he closed the door and watched it disappear. “What?” he asked with a confused frown when his mate and Izzy started laughing, that wasn't a stupid question! He thought.

“It was there the whole time it was hidden behind a concealment spell,” Alec said with a grin, his mate was adorable when his eyebrows mashed down like that when he was confused! He walked over and wrapped his arms around his Alpha, smacking their lips together. He broke from the kiss, not seeing the queasy look on his mate's face when a portal opened up next to them.

“Get a room!” Dot said with a smirk when she stepped out of her mates portal, followed by David. She walked over and placed the box she was holding on the kitchen island, casually flicking her hair back with a grin.

“Dot!” Izzy screamed when she saw the mating mark on Dot’s neck. She scanned her son’s neck, seeing a matching one there before shrieking again. She launched herself forward and threw herself on Dot. “ I always wanted another daughter” she screamed in Dots ear, making the entire room roar with laughter.

“Calm down mom, you'll shatter glass with that scream,” David said as he placed another box down by his feet. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the look his mate gave him, it was a mixture of panic, surprise and... was that a tear in her eye? 

“Wait, is this why we haven't heard from you both for the last six days? Magnus asked, trying, and failing to elbow Izzy out of the way to give his Parababtai a hug. He settled for congratulating David instead.

“Magnus Bane, you get away from my mate” Dot snarled, dislodging Izzy and barreling into Magnus. She jumped up and threw herself in front of David, snarling at Magnus, Alec and Izzy, they weren't getting near him!

“Ow! What was that for you crazy bitch?” Magnus asked as he pulled himself up from the floor. He held his wrist to his chest, she had almost broken it! “I was only going to give him a hug, I wasn't trying to steal him from you” he muttered, smiling thankfully at his mate when Alec pushed his magic into his wrist, soothing the pain there.

“We talked about it and decided we didn't want to wait any longer to be mated,” David said, pulling his snarling mate into his chest and resting his chin on her head. “We wanted to do it when I was in heat so I took one of Alec’s potions, to bring on my heat early,” he said, nuzzling into his alpha’s scent glands to hide his grin.

“But that potion takes five days to work,” Alec said with a frown as he stared at them. “You’ve only been gone for six days, shouldn't you still…?” he cut off as he gaped at the pair of them, David smirking, Dot still scowling at them.

“Quickest heat I ever had,” David said, howling at the look on his uncles face, a split second before Izzy’s shrieks had the lot of them clutching their ears.

“My baby is going to have a baby!” Izzy screamed, throwing herself into Magnus’ arms and sobbing into his neck, he was the only safe option in the room, she still wasn't allowed near Alec and the look on Dot’s face said she had better not touch him.

“Mom, we don't know that for sure,” David said, staring at his mom over Dot’s head as she sobbed uncontrollably into Magnus’ shoulder. “It doesn't necessarily me…”

“One day! You were in heat for one day. What else could it mean?” Izzy asked, crying harder as she thought of grandkids running around. “I’m going to be a grandmother! Wait until your father hears, he’ll be so happy!” she squealed.

“He’ll hear about it soon, he’s portaling in with Olivia and Lethabo,” Dot said, indicating the Boxes she and David had brought. “These are the things Lethabo wanted bringing from South Africa by hand, he was worried the bottles would get smashed,” she said just before boxes and suitcases started appearing out of thin air around them. She stared at them in dismay, pulling him David in tight, not wanting any of them to hit him.

“What’s going on?” Simon asked, stepping from his Daughter’s portal and seeing his wife sobbing all over an amused looking Magnus as he patted her back. He stepped forward and rescued the poor guy when Izzy started shrieking incoherently. “Slow down, Iz, I can’t under…”

“David and Dot mated and he’s pregnant!” Izzy said once she had gotten herself under control. She watched it sink in, his expression turning from confusion to joy as his eyes darted to Dot and David before he picked her up and swung her around with great heaving sobs.

“I take it that’s why she is stood in front of him like an army is coming for him?” Simon asked through his tears, wishing he could hug his son, he knew there was no chance of that happening though so he cautiously walked over and swept Dot up into a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you for taking our boy on and making our family bigger, I know we're a lot to take but I’m so happy he found you” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you” Dot whispered back around the lump in her throat. Ever since she was twelve, she had never even wanted a family but over the last few weeks, they had all been so wonderful to her, she thought maybe it wasn't so bad having a family. And now that she was mated to David, she got to have them forever, the thought had her wrapping herself around her mate and burying her face in his chest, not wanting to cry in front of them.

“I'm so happy for you both” Magnus said as he approached the couple. “Did you do the soul exchange?” he asked as he pulled Dot away from David and pulled her close. He grinned when she nodded into his shoulder. “Ha, now you're stuck with me as your parabatai for eternity,” he said with a chuckle, smiling wider when everyone laughed.

“More like you’re stuck with me,” Dot said with an evil grin. “Did you ever think, even a couple of months ago that we would both be mated, into the same family, both with kids on the way and both becoming immortal?” she asked with a laugh, high fiving him when he raised his hand with a grin.

“I think we both landed on our feet when we mated into the Lightwood family, Dorothea” Magnus said with a glowing smirk as he watched his mate approach David and give him a hug. He laughed at the way Dot watched his every move but didn't move to stop him, he would have had to put her on her ass in a permanent way if she would have touched his mate. “Look at our mates, I wonder what we will be having?” he asked, his face was aching from grinning but he couldn't help it! He laughed when a surprised look crossed her face like she hadn't even thought about it before releasing her to Olivia and Lethabo when they came to congratulate her, everyone steering clear of David.

“Where do you want these, Lethabo?” David asked when his sister and her mate released Dot, indicating the boxes he and Dot had brought from his home in South Africa. He hid his grin when Lethabo looked around with a lost expression on his face.

“I’ll put them in the potion room,” Olivia said, waving her arm and revealing the door hidden behind the concealment charm Alec had placed over it. She took the boxes and chucked them through the door grinning at the look on her mates face before she opened the door wide to show him all of his bottles and jars sitting on the shelves.

“This will do nicely,” Lethabo said with a grin when he saw the massive room, it was like Christmas had come early, he and Olivia would have a lot of fun in there! “Thanks again Alec I think we will be very happy here, you’ve saved us a lot of hassle,” he said gratefully, walking forward to shake his hand before a growl from Magnus had him veering off.

“I’m just glad I don't have to sell, I’ve lived here a long time, it’s nice to see it staying in the family,” Alec said with an affectionate smile for his niece and Lethabo. “With Dot and David moving into his place it means someone is here to watch over the store at night,” he said.

“Ha, as if anyone could get past your protection spells,” David said with a grin. “anyway, enough of the love fest, I want to see this cottage. Lead the way” he said, pulling Dot from Magnus’ arms and turning to Alec expectantly. 

Alec checked his watch, making sure it was late enough in Idris for his brother-in-law to be outside before opening a portal, leading them all through to the gardens of the cottage Lethabo’s family and by extension, their family, had built for him and his mate. He gazed up at the house, smiling when Magnus gave his hand a squeeze with the same excited, happy look on his face.

“I thought you said it was a cottage?” Izzy asked incredulously as she gazed up at the huge house. All the windows were lit and there were dozens of solar-powered lamps lighting the beautiful, expansive gardens up, the smell of night blooming jasmine, honeysuckle and hydrangeas heavy in the air. “I thought it would be a bit… smaller” she said. It was gorgeous with the sandstone facade, thatched roof and trellises of roses and ivy climbing the walls. The large sash windows set into the middle of the foliage showed bright little snapshots of cosey looking rooms.

“So did we” Magnus laughed, Alec nodding along. They had both stared at the house in shock when Lethabo had proudly shown them around the finished home but he had to admit, as first homes went, this one was pretty close to perfect! It was magnificent. “But we love it, your family did a wonderful job, we don't know how we could ever repay them,” he said, turning to Lethabo and trying to convey his gratitude with the tight hug he gave the warlock.

“Nonsense, you are family, it is our way,” Lethabo said, slapping him on the back and giving Alec a nod. “And besides, a big family needs a big house and I am sure you will be blessed with many children,” he said with a smile.

“I’m sure we will fill it one day but for now, I think the three of us will be very happy here,” Alec said, gesturing for them all to follow him up the winding gravel path. He grinned when he opened the arch-shaped oak front door and led them all into the large entrance hall, his shoes echoing off the stone floor. “How about a tour? Shoes off” he admonished them when they made to walk on his plush cream carpets with their shoes on when he led the way to the living room.

“This place is gorgeous,” Dot said as she walked into the living room and glanced around. The huge stone fireplace was big enough to stand in and her feet sank into the thick carpet. She smiled when she saw piles of boxes surrounding the huge duck egg blue sofa’s and bookcases, they had a lot of unpacking to do. But the crystal chandelier that hung from the beamed ceiling and the matching lamps already gave the place a homey feeling and she loved the wood panelling on all of the walls.

“It is, it’s spectacular,” Alec said, leading them all back out into the hallway and onto the next room. “This will be the playroom for the baby when they are a bit older,” he said, smiling at the bright colours on the walls and the hardwearing carpet he had insisted they put down, this one along with all the cream carpets in the house had had protection charms woven into them to protect them against spills. The room looked a little bare without any toys but they would think about that closer to the time. He led them past the closets and downstairs bathroom and through the tv room, the huge cinema sized tv and the large cosy armchairs being pretty self-explanatory, to the kitchen.

“Mother of demons, look at this place!” Izzy squealed, her voice echoing through the room and bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. The huge skylight and ceiling to floor windows would let in plenty of light in the daytime, they were practically stood in a glass room. The chalk painted cabinets and marble worktops were beautiful and the massive range cooker and large oak table were perfect for family meals. She was already planning what to make as she ducked her head into the pantry, gaping at the amount of shelf space in there. “I can’t wait…”

“Don't even think about it, Isabelle,” Magnus said, watching the cogs in her head turning. “This is my room, you, your brother and Dot are all banned. If anyone is cooking in this room it is me” he said with a smirk, he had finally gotten round to sampling her cooking when she had made them a family meal the week before and he had foolishly not eaten before they arrived, unlike everyone else. He dodged three elbows and showing them all into the library. He looked around at the monumental amount of bookshelves lining the walls and shook his head. His mate had assured him that he could fill them but he hadn't believed him until he had seen the boxes and the size of his potion room, he believed him now!

“How many people were you planning on feeding in here?” Simon asked when they were led into what he would describe as a dining hall, the table looked as though it could sit twenty and if they had been wearing shoes, he was pretty sure their footsteps would be echoing off the stone floor, the same light grey as the hallway. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he realised there was underfloor heating, nice! He thought. The room had a couple of large fluffy gold rugs to break up the stone and they matched the gold flocked curtains and sparkling chandelier perfectly. Along with more of the wood panelling and the light oak of the table, the room was pretty nice.

“This is for when we are forced to host parties for the council and the clave,” Alec said with a shake of his head. He couldn't wait to throw dinner parties designed for the shadow world's politicians and backstabbers, he thought sarcastically, hopefully, they wouldn't have to use this room very often. “Let's move on to the next room, shall we?” he asked, quickly leading them from the cursed dining room and into another cavernous room.

“My new potion room!” Alec said excitedly, smirking at the way his sister, David and Olivia drooled when they saw it. Three work benches, row after row of shelves for spell books and another huge fireplace filled the room. His favourite parts where the underfloor heating and the spinning ingredient rack that was taller than he was. “I can't wait to start filling the shelves,” he said with an excited gleam in his eye.

“And the final room for the ground floor,” Magnus said, leading them down a small hallway, beautifully carved stone arches and stone walls and floor led to his second favourite room in the entire house.

“You’ve got your own training room?” Dot breathed, trying her best to push down her jealousy as she gaped around the room. She didn't need to be told what the empty weapons racks that lined the walls and the padded floor were for. She gazed longingly at the punching bags and gym equipment on the far side of the room, wondering if she could get her mate to work his magic and create one for her in his penthouse apartment. Their penthouse apartment she amended with a shake of her head, that was going to take some getting used to. She was used to having one room at whatever institute she was working at. While Magnus and Alec’s home was beautiful she much preferred the huge modern penthouse and there was certainly room. She batted her eyelashes at her omega.

“Fine” David said with a laugh, he didn't even need to hear the words, the look on her face said how much she wanted one of her own. All he needed was a simple expansion spell and if it made his mate happy, he would build he ten training rooms. “But I get to decorate the nursery,” he said with a shudder. He had asked her, when his heat was over, what colour scheme they should go for. Her reply of “white?” had horrified him, she had no clue when it came to decorating and he was a stylish guy!

“Deal,” Dot said, making them all laugh when she high-fived her mate before hanging off his neck for a kiss, a kiss that wasn't exactly polite, considering they had company.

“When you two are finished, you can follow us upstairs,” Alec said with a grin, no wonder David had gotten pregnant so quickly, they were indecent! The thought had him laughing, they probably had nothing on him and his mate. He didn't know if it was his pregnancy or the fact that his Alpha was a walking sex machine, but they had already gone at it in every room in the house, even the mud room off the pantry and they had only gotten the keys the day before. The thought had him grinning with a superior smirk on his face. He laced his fingers with Magnus’ and gave him a wink before they led the family through another door and ended up back in the hallway, having done a full circle of the downstairs.

“There are six bedrooms, each with a bathroom and two offices upstairs,” Magnus said as they all trooped up the wide carpeted staircase, set in the middle of the hallway, opposite the front door. The staircase split in two, each side leading up to the wraparound landing that led to the rooms upstairs, leaving the middle empty to showcase the enormous chandelier that hung from the vaulted ceiling. He was pretty sure magic was holding it up, it looked immensely heavy and hung almost right down into the square space left by the landing. 

Magnus smiled at the awestruck looks on their faces with each bedroom he and his mate showed them, all of them decorated in blues, greens, golds and purples. Four of the rooms had kingsize beds with matching armoirs and nightstands made of cherry, oak and pine. Each room had a fireplace, walk-in closet and a bathroom complete with shower, tub, twin sinks and decorated with floor to ceiling subway tiles in colours that matched each room. He particularly liked the wooden shutters on the outside of the sash windows.

“This is our room,” Alec said proudly as they walked in. Their room was similar to the guest rooms but on a larger scale. They had brought his huge bed from the apartment and it had two walk-in closets, one on either side of the bed. The fireplace, opposite their bed, had a thick wooden beam as a mantle piece and a cosy log burner with two squashy gold armchairs and an occasion table situated in front of it. There was a door on the left-hand side of the room that led to a marble bathroom with a sunken waterfall tub, twin vanity and a shower that poured cascades of water straight from the ceiling into the tub.

Alec wrapped himself around his mate as they all poked about in the bathroom and closets, admiring the mirrored furniture and the golden drapes that matched the bedding and mountain of pillows and cushions.

“What’s in here?” David asked curiously, pointing to a door in the righthand wall of the room. “Is this your sex dungeon?” he asked, howling when his mate’s ears perked up, her eyebrows waggling as a filthy look crossed her face.

“No it isn’t, you pervert,” Magnus said with a shake of his head. He opened the door and led them all through. “This is the nursery, so get your mind out of the gutter, David. And you!” he said to his parabatai with a grin. He looked around the room, his eyes twinkling at the beautiful sleigh style walnut crib with gauzy gold drapes hanging over it, the window seat set into the bay window, the gorgeous matching walnut changing table and bookshelves and the thick cream carpet, it was perfect and the walnut and beige nursing chair with matching gliding footstool finished it off beautifully.

“It’s beautiful, but it’s a bit… stark” Izzy said as she gazed around. The furniture, drapes and carpet went well together but the stark white walls had her fingers itching. “Maybe with a click here and a wave there we could add a bit of colour,” she said, wanting only the best for her niece or nephew.

“We will add colour when we know the sex of the baby,” Magnus said, waving her hands away. He would have happily let her at the walls, her own home was decorated beautifully but he didn't want to end up with the complete wrong colour.

“As soon as I give you your twenty-week scan, this room is mine,” Izzy said with a sparkle in her eyes, already planning it out.

“Actually, we are waiting until the birth to find out,” Alec said, trying to let her down gently. They had discussed it and found neither of them minded what they were having as long as it was healthy so they had decided to keep it as a surprise.

“That’s okay, I’ll know,” Izzy said with a smirk, this would be fun! She could decorate the room and do a big reveal. The thought had her almost clapping her hands with excitement before her brother burst her bubble.

“No, actually, you won't,” Alec said, feeling a little bad when a confused expression crossed her face. “Dot has said we can use the ultrasound machine at the infirmary in the institute. We wanted it to be a surprise and you can't hold your own water. None of us will know until the birth except for Dot, she is the only one who can keep a secret” he said.

“But… but… but, what about the room and clothes and toys?” Izzy asked, disappointment coursing through her. She wanted to be the one to do all of her brother's scans and checkup’s. She sulked when Simon took her in his arms.

“Iz, it’s their choice,” Simon said, trying to hold back a chuckle at her pout, she was adorable when she sulked. “I’m sure they will let you do it next time?” he asked Magnus and Alec with wide eyes, silently begging them when her pout turned into a scowl, nodding his head emphatically when she wasn't looking.

“Of course you can, Iz,” Alec said when everyone else pleaded with silent looks for them to agree. He felt bad but they really wanted it to be a surprise. He shook Magnus’ hand off, giving him a warning look to keep his growls to a minimum before walking forward and wrapping her up in a tight hug. “I’m sorry Izzy, but just for the first one, we want it to be a surprise. Besides, we aren't the only ones that are pregnant” he said with a sly grin when her face lit up. “Just think of all the checkup’s you will be able to do for your own grandchild,” he said, laughing as he threw his nephew and his mate under the bus. He burst out laughing at the looks on their faces, along with Simon, Olivia, Lethabo and Magnus as they all watched her forming plans with a smile on her face.

Alec let her go and returned to his mate’s side as she shuffled over to Dot and started cosying up to her, working on getting her new daughter in law to let her near her son. He gazed at his Alpha, seeing the twinkle in his eye as he looked around the nursery, as much as he would miss his apartment, he knew they would be happy here. He wondered how quickly he could kick them all out without being rude, he wanted some alone time with his mate in their new home!


	28. Chapter 28

3 weeks later…

“Dot? Are you okay, sweetheart?” David asked, poking his head around the bathroom door and regretting his decision in an instant. The smell of her puking her guts up turned his already delicate stomach. He clicked his fingers, producing a bucket just in time.

“David, I’m sorry, you'll be okay in a minute” Dot muttered miserably before hunching over the toilet again, the sounds of her mate being sick bringing on another wave. That was the last time they were eating takeout from the Chinese place down the road! She had a good mind to report them, she thought as her stomach settled for a moment. She sat up when she thought it was safe, wiping her streaming eyes. “Are you okay?” she called out, not daring to check up on him, it was safest waiting until he had finished. She scrubbed her teeth furiously before swirling some mouthwash around her mouth while she waited.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’d say that this is definitely morning sickness though” he called, waving his arm and sending the bucket away. He motioned a second time, leaving the air fresh and clean. “It’s safe to come out now” he called, not wanting to go near the bathroom, not even to clear the air of the smell.

“Just let me go in there unarmed, seriously, what kind of damage could I do without a weapon?” she asked, the picture of innocence as she cautiously stepped from the bathroom. “Maybe a few choice words will have his kitchen clean in no time,” she said with a weak smile.

“Dot, he’s 94, and I know you don't need so much as a paperclip to snap a man’s neck,” David said, grinning as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes and accepted the bottle of mouthwash with a grateful smile. “We just won't eat there again, it’s your fault, you insisted even after it happened again yesterday,” he said, grinning at the scowl on her beautiful face, which quickly turned to one of longing.

“I know, but that lemon chicken! The one you conjured isn’t the same, maybe it’s worth a little discomfort” she said, almost salivating at the thought of the lemon chicken she had ordered 3 nights in a row this week, it tasted so good! She ignored the shake of his head, considering eating the leftovers currently sat in the fridge, they should be in her stomach!

“Are you ready?” David asked, watching her face. He knew exactly what she was thinking, he had already thrown the leftovers out, he wasn’t stupid. “Please don’t attack my mom, she will be quick, it only takes a moment, then we will know for sure,” he said, rubbing his hands over his abdomen. He was pretty sure anyway, but his mom had insisted she check him over anyway.

“I know, I can’t help it though, it’s a natural instinct, to protect my family,” she said, staring at his hands where they on his stomach. Her family! The rush of love she felt whenever she thought of her mate being pregnant took her breath away, the feeling that rushed up through her was equal parts terror, adoration, confusion and excitement. The moment his heat had ended and they were faced with the prospect that he might be pregnant, she had gone into protective mode. She was terrified of fucking up and surprised for the love she felt for the life growing inside him, but some instinct inside her that she didn’t know she possessed was telling her that it had become the most important thing in her life.

“Magnus will help you control it,” he said with a grin, reminding her that there would be another Alpha there. “Lilith! I love you, you are so beautiful when you snarl like that” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her close, thanking her angel that she had used the mouthwash too before pressing his lips to hers.

Dot sank into the kiss with a sigh, wishing they could just stay here and makeout or even better, take the day off and spend it making love. She had to break the kiss before the thoughts carried her away. “I love you too, let's get this over with, I can’t be late again” she whispered against his lips, shaking her head at his lewd grin.

“My Lady,” he said, waving his arm with a flourish and creating a portal for them before bowing low and ushering her through, smiling when she grabbed his hand on the way past. He felt his stomach roll slightly as he walked through the portal before it settled when he was on firm ground again, in his mom’s living room. His mate, however, wasn’t so lucky. He produced another bucket a split second before she lost the last of her lemon chicken.

Dot aimed a kick at Magnus when he came near them, the only thing she could do while she heaved her guts up again, trying to imitate some sort of semblance of a growl without much success. 

“Is she okay?” Magnus asked David with a concerned frown as he dodged out of the way of her leg. He watched as she wiped her mouth, David sending the bucket away with a wave of his hand as he clutched his nose with the other.

“I’m fine” Dot muttered, glancing around at them all when they stared at her. She smiled gratefully when Alec handed her a pack of mints. “Just some dodgy chicken” she muttered before Izzy descended on them. She was pleased with herself when she didn't lash out and only growled a little when her mother-in-law wrapped them up in a tight hug.

“Are you okay, dear?” Izzy asked Dot, her motherly instincts taking over as she felt her daughter-in-law's forehead, she was a little clammy but her temperature was okay. “And you? Are you still having morning sickness?” she asked her son with a glowing grin, her eyes darting back and forth between them.

“I think so, I've puked every day for the last few weeks so I think it’s safe to say it’s morning sickness,” David said with a grin, absentmindedly rubbing his mate’s back. “Shall we?” he asked excitedly, waving to his dad when he came into the room before practically throwing himself down on the couch and ripping his top up.

“Are you going to be okay if I touch them?” Izzy asked Dot, unable to help herself from referring to her son as them. She smiled when Dot gave her a tight nod before walking over and taking David's hand, perching on the sofa next to him. She knelt down next to them with a sigh and put her hands on his stomach.

David could barely breathe through his excitement. He reached up with his free hand and smoothed the line of Dots eyebrows with his finger, grinning when she leaned into his touch. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning to watch his mom’s face.

Izzy sent her awareness down into her son’s body, trying to ignore the presence she sensed as Dot clenched his hand tightly. Usually, she wouldn't let the partner hold their hand when she did this for anyone, their presence interfering with her reading but she knew Dot was too nervous to let go so she pushed past it and sank down to scan Davids abdomen. She grinned when she found the multiplying cluster of cells there, her grandbaby! She felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she lingered for a moment before pulling back slightly, something was nagging at her.

“What is it? What’s up?” Dot asked in a panic when she saw the happy look on Izzy’s face turn from joy to confusion. “Izzy, what’s up? Is there a baby? Is it alright? Answer me!” she commanded, pushing every ounce of Alpha she possessed out to wrap around Izzy when she didn't answer her straight away. Usually, she would never do such a thing, she had quickly grown to love Izzy when she had treated her the way her own mother should have, but the look on her face had her stomach twisting.

“Dot, let go of Davids' hand a moment,” Izzy said her eyes snapping open at the command. “Just for a moment, your presence is affecting the reading, please?” she asked when she saw the incredulous look on Dot’s face.

“I… I…” Dot stuttered out as she looked around at the concerned looks on Simon, Alec and Magnus’ faces. She didn't want to let go, she just wanted to know that they were alright. She looked down at her mate, seeing tears welling up in his eyes. She brushed them away before loosening her grip on his hand, she would let go for him.

“Thank you, dear,” Izzy said before sinking her awareness back into David’s body. She searched, finding the cluster of cells again, her breathing steadying when she felt it. She had tried to show a calm facade but that nagging presence had spooked her. Now she was just confused. “Dot, take David’s hand again,” she said without opening her eyes. She felt it the moment Dot took his hand again, that strange nagging, like an itch. “Let go,” she said, still not opening her eyes, it was gone again.

“Please, just tell us, Izzy” Dot whispered as fear stole through her. She had never been this terrified in her life, she took David’s hand again, needing to touch him. She would battle the entire clave and downworld without batting an eyelid but this? This was a whole new level. She stared around, begging them all with her eyes to do something when Izzy just sat there with her eyes closed, a confused look on her face. She could see her fear mirrored in their faces, none of them able to help.

“You’re pregnant, and it’s fine I swear,” Izzy told David, watching as Dot sagged into him, both of them crying with relieved expressions on their faces. “David, stand up a minute,” she said, watching as they uncurled from each other and stood up. She tugged Dot back down and pushed her back into the couch.

“What the hell?” Dot said as Izzy pushed her down and yanked her top up. “What are you doing? Get off” she said, trying to push her top down and sit up. She snatched them back when Izzy silently batted her hands away and put her hands on her stomach. She stared around at the confused looking group. They looked as clueless as she was!

Izzy sank her awareness down into Dot’s body, ignoring her protests as she searched for that nagging presence. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found what she was looking for, making her shriek with excitement. She felt Dot jump under her hands but used a small amount of magic to pin her down, much to the Alpha’s dismay, which she was making quite clear. She continued searching. She erected a barrier around them when she felt a presence at her back.

“MOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” David roared when he couldn't get through her barrier. “What is she doing?” he asked, using his magic to try and get through. He fought his panic down when he saw the angry, panicked look on his mates face, obviously trying to fight through his mom’s magic, she wasn't moving a muscle but he could see the strain on her face. “MOM!” he roared, almost collapsing on top of them both when his mom’s barrier vanished. “What the fuck?” he snarled as he caught himself.

“Hey, don’t speak to your mother like that!” Simon said, staring at his son. “Whatever that was, I’m sure there was a good reason for…”

“It’s okay, David, sit down,” Izzy said, using her mom voice. She backed off a little when Dot sat up with a snarl, yanking her top down and giving her a death stare. “Sit down!” she said, watching as he did as he was told, pulling Dot into his side and running his hands over her.

“I’m okay” Dot assured her mate before turning on Izzy. “what was that?” she asked, trying to keep the growling to a minimum, mindful that she was talking to her mother in law. She breathed through her nose, inhaling David’s scent to calm herself as she stared at the grin on Izzy’s face, what was so fucking funny? She wondered.

“Dot, I’m sorry but I had to be sure,” Izzy said, holding her hands up at the twin glares her son and his mate were aiming at her. “When I scanned David, your presence affected my reading. I felt another presence that disappeared when you let go of his hand, I didn’t know for sure what it was at first but when I scanned you, my suspicions were confirmed, you’re pregnant too, you both are” she said, trying not to squeal.

Dot stared at her mother-in-law, dumbfounded. Her brain tried to process the words but she couldn’t wrap her head around it. When she had received her angelic rune and presented as an Alpha, she had been gripped with debilitating pains in her abdomen. She had curled up in her bed, begging the Angel to finish her off until a silent brother had come to her room and explained what had happened. Her uterus had shrunk as the testosterone had flooded her body. He explained that Alpha females found it extremely difficult to conceive children as they produced more testosterone than estrogen. She had secretly been glad, knowing that she didn’t want a family and wouldn't be taking a mate. She had only had a period about once every six months since she had presented, another bonus in her eyes, and hadn't really thought much about it.

“But… but… but…” Dot stammered, staring at Izzy as she tried to absorb it. “But I can’t be, I’m an Alpha, it’s impossible. You must be mistaken” she mumbled, staring up at her Omega when he tightened his hold on her, seeing his confused, happy, shocked expression. Yes, that’s exactly how I feel, she thought.

“Of course it’s not impossible, it’s just rare,” Izzy said with a grin. She had met one or two Alpha females that had gotten pregnant before, it was rare but not unheard of, not if they slept with their male mates in that tiny window of fertility. “When was your last period?” she asked, rolling her eyes at the uncomfortable grunts coming from the men that surrounded them before urging Dot on with a nod of her head.

“I don’t know, like December or something, I don’t really keep track, I don’t have them often enough,” Dot said, staring at Simon when he covered his ears, like a five-year-old, at her words. “You’re all happy with talking about heats, but when it comes to periods you act like a bunch of children” she scoffed as she looked around at Alec, Magnus and Simon, trying to look anywhere but at her.

“Dot, it’s almost July,” Izzy said, watching the realisation sink into the confused looking Alpha. She watched Dot’s lips move as she tried to count with a confused look of concentration on her face. “You’re pregnant, around the two-three week mark, no more than a week behind David,” she said with a huge grin.

“We’re both pregnant?” David asked as it finally sank in, he was going to be a dad, twice over. He looked down at his confused looking mate, watching it sink in for her too. He looked around as a grin spread across his face, seeing matching smiles on everyone's faces. None of them moved towards them, unsure of what Dot would do but they all looked happy for them. His gaze darted back to Dot when a small gasp escaped her, seeing the realisation had turned to fear.

“Will the… baby be okay in there?” Dot asked, clutching her stomach, she had a smaller uterus than was normal, what if it didn't have room to grow? “What will happen to it, Izzy? I… I’m not… what if there’s not enough room?” she asked fearfully. She had always loved being an Alpha but she had never felt less like a real woman in her life.

“Hey, hey, we just have to keep an eye on you is all,” Izzy said in a soothing tone when Dot’s breathing started to come quicker “Just breathe sweetie. I’ll monitor you all the way, okay? We won’t let anything happen to you or the baby but you’re going to have to take it easy, no fighting, no lifting anything heavy and no stress. Your uterus will stretch to accommodate the baby but If it get’s too tight, you may have to deliver early. Your uterus is smaller than most but it isn’t tiny, there’s still room in there” Izzy reassured her.

Dot stared up at her mate, looking into his bright blue eyes, his glamour having fallen away. She was going to be a mom, she had a life growing inside her! She didn’t realise she was crying until her mate’s hand came up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “We’re going to have a ba… two babies” she whispered, a laugh bubbling up through her and choking out through the fresh wave of tears. “How did you do it?” she asked, searching his face.

“Well, you were there,” David said with a proud grin. “But if you need me to explain it. When a mommy and daddy love each…”

“Not that!” Dot interjected with a shaky laugh, along with everyone else in the room, he was ridiculous! “How did you rip away everything I thought I knew about myself? Before I met you, I never wanted a family. I was happy… well, not happy, but it was always just me and Magnus and that’s the way I thought I wanted it. And now you’re pregnant and so am I, it was everything that had filled me with horror. But, I am happy, I’m ecstatic. How did you do that?” she asked as she stared up at him, gripping his face between her hands to stare into his beautiful eyes.

“I told you I’m stubborn” David said with a sparkle in his eye and a wink for his mate. “I thought it would take longer to wear you down, so much for your stubbornness, I won,” he said with a chuckle.

“Wear me down? More like cast a spell on me” Dot said with a laugh, climbing onto his lap and snuggling into his chest, careful not to jostle his stomach. “And I think you’ll find it’s me who has won,” she said smugly.

“Can we hug you both now?” Magnus asked, wanting to pick Dot up and spin her around, his parabatai was pregnant! And so was her mate! He settled for wrapping his mate up in a tight hug at the look on her face, both of them grinning as they watched David brushed his fingers over her stomach with a look of wonder on his face.

“A miracle baby” David whispered in his mates ear. “Hey mom, can you show me how to do that? I want to see the baby too! Can I do it on myself?” he asked with a confused but hopeful expression on his face.

“Sure, I can show you how to do it on Dot,” Izzy said with a proud grin. “You can do it on yourself too but it’s harder. You cant physically see the babies with your eyes but you can get a feel for it, it’s more of an awareness” she explained, kissing her mate on the cheek and breaking from his embrace to show him. “Do you want to learn too?” she asked when she saw the wide-eyed expression on her brother’s face.

“Yes!” Alec yelped, contemplating wrestling David for prime position on the couch with a chuckle. He watched Dot eyeball Izzy as she approached them, grinning until he saw the same expression on Magnus’ face. “Both of you can quit the growling, we are all family here,” he said, exchanging an eye-roll with his nephew. “You both seem to forget that the two of us are more than capable of defending ourselves,” he said to his mate and Dot with a shake of his head.

“That’s not the point,” Dot said, exchanging a look with Magnus, they just didn’t get it! She sighed when David motioned her to lie down, an excited gleam in his eye. She lay down again and watched curiously as Izzy placed her hands over his and guided them down onto her stomach. She was torn between wanting to snarl at Izzy and wanting to make her mate happy.

“It’s the same as when you did the soul exchange,” Izzy said. “Sink your awareness down but direct it towards her uterus rather than her soul. You’ll be able to feel it there, it’s like a fuzzy mental image, you can’t see it but your mind fills in the blanks. The cells split, doubling about every twelve hours, if you looked long enough you would be able to feel a new part of your baby forming” she said, watching her son concentrate.

It took him a few attempts, unsure of what he was supposed to be looking for but when David finally managed to do it, he was blown away. His mom was right, he couldn’t see it but he was able to feel the presence there. It was a small cluster of cells, still tiny, but there nonetheless. It took his breath away. One of his babies! He thought, glowing with pride.

“As the babies develop, you will be able to feel their heartbeats when you do this” Izzy said, watching the way her son’s face lit up and the way Dot stared at him as if he were her entire world. “Do you want to try it on yourself?” Izzy asked, remembering how she had lain there for hours when she was carrying the twins, feeling their little heartbeats.

“Magnus, Dot, when they do this, don’t panic” Simon said with a wry grin, remembering the trance-like state his wife used to go into for hours at a time, he had almost shit his pants the first time he had found her, lying on their bed, eyes closed and unresponsive. “It’ll scare the ever living shit out of you but your mates will be fine and they will do it often,” he said, shaking his head at the curious looks on their faces.

“Alec, get over here,” Izzy said when Dot got up. She patted the spot her daughter in law had just vacated, grinning when her brother flew across the room and all but launched himself on the couch.

Magnus pulled Dot into a hug when she stood up, he felt her stiffen for a moment before she sank into it. “Don’t, look how protective you are over David and the baby, both of them. Your first instinct after it sunk in was to worry about your child. You will make an excellent mother” he whispered in her ear when he felt her worry and self-doubt through their bond. He pulled back to look her in the eye. “I’m so happy for you, and proud, I’m so proud of the way you’ve opened up and let him love you. You deserve to be happy, Dorothea, more than you know” he said, wiping her stray tear away, she would do a wonderful job.

“I couldn’t agree more, you’ve made my son so happy,” Simon said as he stole his daughter-in-law from Magnus and held her close. He stroked her hair back when she cried into his neck, patting her gently on the back realising she just needed a dad hug, which he was more than happy to provide. “It’s natural to be scared of messing up, that just means that you’re doing it right, that you care enough. May I?” he asked when she pulled back slightly, gesturing to her stomach. He lay his hand on her stomach when she gave him a watery nod, glowing, even if he couldn’t actually feel his grandchild, he knew it was there and that was enough for him.

“That’s it, just like you did with Dot,” Izzy said, encouraging David when he frowned frustratedly at not being able to do it first go. “I don’t know why but it’s just more difficult to do it on your own body but you’ll both find it easier the further along you get,” she said with a smile, laughing when Alec’s awe showed on his face, she remembered that feeling well.

“Magnus!” Alec said horsly when he felt the little clusters of cells, his love for it only growing deeper when he felt a strumming feeling with his magic. It was there for a moment before it disappeared with his concentration. He tried to focus on it again as he felt the couch dip next to him, scenting his Alpha. “It’s amazing, is that… is it a… heartbeat?” he asked wonderingly when his eyes snapped open to look at his sister. 

“Did it feel like a fluttering against your mind?” Izzy asked, a longing she hadn’t felt for a long time welling up inside her, she missed that feeling! “You are between 5-6 weeks, it’s around this time that the baby’s heart develops. It will only be about a week before it becomes consistent enough for you to feel it all the time” she said, grinning at the look on Magnus’ face as he stared at her brother, a mixture of love, awe and pride on his face, he had it bad!

“Magnus, it’s amazing, I wish you could feel it,” Alec said before he zoned out again to try and feel it once more. It was a constant fluttering, sometimes slowing down, sometimes working twice, three times as hard, it was amazing!

“I felt it!” David exclaimed excitedly before he lost it when he jumped. He tried to find it again, searching desperately, almost pouting when he couldn’t get it back. “How do you know so much about it, mom?” he asked.

“What do you think I did before I had a mate and kids? Just sit around waiting for you all to turn up?” she asked with a laugh. “I had a life before becoming a wife and mother you know? There were no ultrasound scans in the eighteen-hundreds, good midwives were hard to find” she said with a shrug.

“She’s being modest, she was highly sought out,” Alec said proudly. She had had her pick of clients, downworlders travelling from the other side of the world to seek out her services. “We have lived a long time David, most of that before you and your sister came along, I could tell you stories that would make your toenails curl,” he said with a laugh at the look on his sister’s face that said ‘don’t you dare’.

“I'm sorry to scan and dash,” Dot said with a tight smile, not wanting to leave her mate now that his pregnancy was confirmed. “But I’m going to be late for work, again,” she said, her eyes lingering on David as she thought of why she had been late for work almost every morning that week.

Magnus shared a look with his mate, smiling when Alec nodded. He didn't want to go but he knew she would need him more than his mate would, her condition being more precarious than Alec’s was. “Hold up, I’ll come with you. Isabelle said no stress or fighting, you’re gonna need all the help you can get over the next few months” he said, silently wondering how he was going to juggle the institute, his council duties and his mate’s pregnancy needs, before sucking it up and squaring his shoulders, he would do it for his family, he thought to himself. He gave his mate a lingering kiss, seeing Dot and David do the same out of the corner of his eye before Alec opened up a portal for them and handed over a bucket, escorting her through, back to the institute. This would be fun, he thought with an eye-roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm just that ridiculous and they deserve it lol


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so, if you haven't guessed yet, the rest of the chapters will be time jumps (apart from the next one, that will be set straight after this) as much as I would love to go into every single day of their lives together, I haven't got an eternity's worth of chapters in me lol. so this way, you will all get to see the important parts. 
> 
> I know some of you would read an eternity's worth of chapters, but, if I didn't do the time jumps, I'd never have time to bring you the next project. it is called by By the ocean and of course, features "our boys" but it will be unlike anything I've written so far! (i cant wait) anyhoo more on that, with a proper announcement, to come closer to the end of this one. 
> 
> until the next chapter, #SaveShadowhunters and all the other###!!!

6 weeks later...

“Like… a date? A real, going out for dinner, just the two of us, romantic music and nice wine date?” Alec asked, well, Magnus could drink nice wine, he would be relegated to water or soda. He pouted for a moment before running his hands over his stomach, smiling at the definition he felt there, maybe he wasn’t too upset, he thought to himself. “When?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.

“Tonight, it’s all arranged, wear something nice,” Magnus said with a wink, placing his hand over Alec’s where he lay on the bed and gently rubbing his thumb over the exposed skin of his stomach. He knew his expression had turned soft, but he couldn’t help it when he looked at his mate’s bump. An excited hiss escaped his mouth as he thought about their baby, he didn’t notice the incredulous look on Alec’s face, to busy making eyes at his stomach.

“I always wear something nice” Alec grumbled, already going through outfit options in his head. He would start going through his closet the second they home. His musings were interrupted when Dot Came into the room, rubbing her hands excitedly together, her eyes darting to the machinery next to them. “I don’t know if you’re more excited to see the baby or get your hands on a new piece of technology,” he said, laughing at the mock wounded expression on her face.

“You’re words cut deep, uncle Alec,” Dot said with a smirk, holding her hand to an imaginary wound in her gut. It was more of an excuse to rub her hands over her own stomach if she was being honest. “And it’s not a new piece of technology, I’ve become quite proficient in using it, thank you very much,” she said with a grin.

“Yeah, because you pestered poor Claire into showing you how to use it and sneak in here at least once a day to ‘test it’ on yourself,” Magnus said with a grin. He couldn’t blame her, he would do the same if he were the one that was pregnant, Alec could do his magic thing and feel the baby anytime he wanted but Magnus was forced to wait until the scan, he was practically bouncing in his seat.

“Yes… well… shut up” Dot said with a fake scowl, trying to glare at him. She did, there was no point in denying it. She looked at Alec’s exposed bump, wondering if she would be that big at 12 weeks. The thought twisted her gut for a moment, she had a small frame as it was, add in the small uterus and the thought turned her grin to a worried frown before she smoothed her face out. It was their day, she didn’t want to ruin it with her worries. “Are you ready to see your baby?” she asked, pulling a happy smile onto her face. 

“Can’t wait!” Alec said, yanking his top up further. He took Magnus’ hand in his own when a noise that was halfway between a snarl and a growl escaped him. He gave him a squeeze and a look, if he wanted to see it, he would have to suck it up and let his parabatai touch him. He gasped when she poured the cold, thick liquid on his stomach and switched the machine on after she tucked a bit of tissue into his pants, to protect them he assumed.

Magnus watched as she started to roll a small gadget through the jelly stuff she had poured on him. He snarled at the way she pushed it down but bit his tongue when a grainy image came onto the little screen it was hooked up to. He looked at the grey, snowy image, his breath catching when he saw a couple of little jellybean shaped lumps on the screen. He could see two circular shapes, each with elongated blobs attached to them, little protrusion's sticking out of each elongated blob with a few dark, shadowy patches surrounding all the lumps he saw. 

Magnus scratched his head, not really sure what he was looking at, it looked like some odd ten-legged alien to him but he was sure it would be beautiful when it came out, just like it’s dad. He looked away from the screen to look at his mate, seeing the confused look on his face as he tilted his head to the left and right, obviously trying to work out what was what too. His glamour had fallen away, revealing the lightest grey he had ever seen in them. His head snapped around to Dot’s face when he heard an odd noise come from her, seeing a confused, shocked look on her face. “Dorothea?” he asked as calmly as he could.

Dot stared at the image on the screen, her eyes darting to the two confused looking men. She saw the concerned looks on their faces before her eyes unerringly found the image on the screen again. She ignored Magnus’ question, rolling the scanner this way and that, trying to make sense of what her brain was trying to convince her of but no matter how much she changed the position, it still didn’t change what she was seeing.

“Dot?” Alec asked, his concern evident in his tone when he uttered the single word. He shifted uncomfortably, the scanner still digging into his abdomen, putting pressure on his bladder but sucked it up. He watched as she clicked a couple of buttons on the keyboard and the image froze before she enlarged it slightly. Staring intently at the image with a goofy grin on her face before pulling a piece of paper from her wallet.

“This is a scan picture of my baby that I printed off yesterday,” Dot said, handing it to Alec. Her gaze shifted between their faces when Magnus leaned in to look at it too. She waited for the realisation to dawn on them as their eyes moved over the picture before they both looked up at the same time, still looking as confused and clueless as before she gave it to them. “Compare it to yours you pair of idiots, do you notice any difference?” she asked with an eye-roll and a sigh.

“Our baby is bigger? And it looks more like an alien?” Alec asked as he looked between the picture in his hand and the image on the screen. He hadn't meant to let that last part out but it did, he smiled when Magnus chuckled beside him. Their baby had more shadows around it and he assumed the round things were it’s… eyeballs? though, he wasn't sure what the stubby lumps were supposed to be? He shrugged as he looked back at the incredulous look she aimed at them. “What? I’ve never seen one of these before. All of this is new to me, it's not my fault if I get things wrong!” he said, scowling at the look on her face, it wasn't his fault! He saw Magnus agreeing, smirking at her, his mate hadn’t been through this either.

“I swear to the Angel, you two are the densest…” she cut off with a shake of her head and pointed up to the screen, running her fingers over it, pointing each part out to them. “Head, head, body, body, arms, legs, not sure, maybe one of them is just a little chunkier and has a bigger stomach,” she said with a shrug at the larger rounded stomach of one of the babies that were taking up most of the screen. “Twins, you fools!” she said with a superior smirk at the gobsmacked look on their faces, they looked like a couple of gaping fish.

“Twins... having… twins” Magnus said, gaping back at the screen. He looked at the little jellybeans, shaking his head, it was obvious now that she had pointed it out. He looked up at Alec, seeing the same embarrassed, awestruck look on his face that surely mirrored his own. “You wondered if we would have twins” he whispered, his heart skipping entire series of beats in his chest.

“We did say we wanted six,” Alec said, his heart beating furiously. He tore his eyes away from the image of their child...children. “Look’s like we are one step closer than we thought,” he said with a weak laugh before it finally sank in. Twins. Like him and Izzy, David and Olivia. Twins. He started laughing, uncontrollable giggles bursting out of him, he should have known. “Look at the size of me, how did we not know?” he asked his glowing mate.

Magnus looked at his Omega suspiciously, was that a trick question? He looked down at Alec’s stomach, watching as Dot wiped the jelly off before fiddling with the machine again. He hadn’t said anything to Alec, he was already touchy about none of his tight pants fitting him properly, but his bump was a bit larger than he tough it would be, he had just thought it was because of the amount of food he was shovelling into his mouth every hour of the day. He had found him sitting in the nursing chair in the nursery at three o’clock that morning, stuffing his face with vinegar-soaked anchovies and pickles. The stench had been eyewatering.

“Earth to Magnus,” Alec said, waving a hand in front of his mate’s face as he zoned out. He showed him the pictures Dot had just printed out for them, watching as a huge grin split his face, his favourite one, the one with all the teeth, it was dazzling! “They look like little jellybeans,” he said, gazing down at a second set of pictures Dot handed him.

“With little tiny arms and legs,” Magnus said, staring down at their children. He brought the picture right up to eye level. “Where are their hands and feet?” he asked, taking in the nubby little protrusions.

“Calm down, they don't just appear fully formed,” Dot said, trying not to laugh at how little they knew. She and David had started reading everything they could get their hands on the moment it had been confirmed they were pregnant. It looked as though these two were going to wake up one day with a couple of kids and not have a clue how they got there or what to do with them. “It takes time for everything to grow. Man, I can't believe you two are having twins, you’re so screwed” she chuckled.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing at, Dottie, twins run in his family,” Magnus said with a savage grin as he jerked a thumb in his mate’s direction, his eyes twinkling with mirth as Alec howled at the look on her face.

“Yes, but I’m only having one” Dot said, waving her scan picture in his face with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

“Yeah, but David is pregnant too,” Alec said, laughing harder when he wiped the look off her face. “Ha, who’s screwed now, you’ll probably have three to worry about. Have fun waiting for his twelve-week scan” he said, howling at her look of dismay.

“Get out of my institute, both of you” Dot growled when they just sat laughing at her. She hadn’t really thought about it. Her mate's mom and Alec were twins, her mate and his sister were twins and now Alec was growing another set. She made a mental note to drag David into the infirmary the first chance she got. “Go on, I hear you have a hot date tonight?” she asked, flashing a grin at the scowl on Magnus’ face.

“Yes, and I need to pick out an outfit or buy one,” Alec said, looking down at his bump. He didn’t notice the silent conversation his mate and Dot were having as they exchanged glares, too busy thinking of how woefully small his wardrobe choices had gotten lately. “Come on, I’ll make us a portal” he managed to get out before Magnus scooped him up off the bed and set him on his feet. He swayed a little, having not eaten in a few hours before his mate caught him. He gave Magnus’ hand a quick squeeze to show him that he was okay.

“Ugh, how do you stand portal travel?” Dot asked, rubbing her hands over her still fairly flat stomach. She barfed every time she went near one. The thought sent a shudder through her as she showed them out of the infirmary. “David isn’t too bad but I cannot keep my food down” she muttered as they walked.

“My morning sickness is easing off a bit but I find as long as I don’t eat for about an hour beforehand, it’s not too bad,” Alec said as they meandered through the Op’s centre. He looked around, receiving the odd scowl here and there but mostly, people smiled at the sight of him and Magnus, walking hand in hand through the institute. He smiled at the thoughtful look on dot’s face as she thought about his advice. “How have things been here?” he asked.

“Not too bad, there's the odd scuffle amongst the shadowhunters now and then but I haven't had to send anyone to you guys yet so that’s something,” Dot said absentmindedly as she spotted one of her men approaching with a takeout bag in hand, her lemon chicken was here! She grabbed the bag and practically shoved Magnus and Alec towards the door, glaring when she saw Alec eyeing her bag of food. “I’ll see you on Monday,” she said to Magnus as they reached the front doors, giving him a sly wink when Alec wasn’t looking, too busy sniffing around her lunch, she yanked the bag behind her back and saw them out before dashing back to her office to wolf it down.

“Where do you think she got that from?” Alec asked a little forlornly as he waved his arm and created a portal. It had smelled good, everything smelled good, he thought to himself.

“I don’t know, but using the shadowhunters to fetch it for her...” Magnus said with a shake of his head and a grin as he pulled Alec through the portal to their cottage, only Dot would do that. He smiled at the laugh that burst from Alec, a second before a grimace crossed his features and he clutched his stomach. He dashed forward to fetch his mate a glass of water and a smelly pickle sandwich, watching him inhale it with revulsion before pulling him up the stairs. He sighed with relief as Alec popped a mint in his mouth, the smell fading fast.

“Can we wait until my stomach has settled properly?” Alec asked when Magnus pulled him into their room, chuckling at his own wit.

Magnus rolled his eyes before wrapping his arms around his mate’s waist and linking his fingers together, fiddling with the little buckle on the back of his silk vest. “Not that I don’t totally intend to ravish you but I was actually coming up here for a reason,” he said, looking up into Alec’s flashing eyes, grinning at the way the silver kept flashing through the light grey he hadn't bothered to conceal.

“And that would be?” Alec asked distractedly as he wrapped his arms around Magnus’ neck and trailed kisses across his cheek and down his jaw, deciding that his stomach was settled enough. He smirked against the mating mark he had left on his Alpha’s neck when Magnus tipped his head to the side with a stuttering breath. Grazing his teeth along the ridges of the bite, his own breathing shallowed when he felt Magnus’ hips buck slightly. He did nothing to stop his hand reaching down of its own accord and skimming across the growing bulge in his mates pants.

“I… er…” Magnus mumbled, losing his train of thought when he felt Alec’s wondering fingers take hold of his zipper. What was he going to say? He had completely forgotten. His eyebrows shot up when Alec sank down onto his knees and undid the button with a wink before pulling his jeans and boxers down.

Alec grinned as he looked his mate right in the eye, so to speak, licking his lips as Magnus’ cock sprang free of the restraining material. He licked a stripe up the underside when it hit his toned stomach, stopping just before he got to the head and running his tongue back down the length, continuing down until he had Magnus’ sac in his mouth, humming contentedly when Magnus’ fingers came to rest in his hair.

“Shit” was all Magnus managed to gasp out when Alec started sucking on his balls. His heart was pounding in his chest, trying to pump the small amount of blood that hadn’t migrated to his cock, around his body. He let out a low moan at the humming noise his mate made, the small vibrations running through his balls and hardening his cock further. He twisted a few strands of his mate’s hair around his fingers, trying to ground himself at the pleasure Alec’s beautiful mouth was inflicting on him.

Alec released his mate's balls with a pop of his mouth and leant up slightly, taking the length of Magnus’ cock in his mouth without lifting a finger to aid him. He clicked his fingers, removing his clothes and tying his own hands behind his back with a silk scarf all in the same instant. His eyes darted up to watch Magnus’ look down at him, his iris’ practically gone when he saw what he had done.

“So beautiful” Magnus murmured, almost choking on the words when his cock sank into the back of Alec’s throat, Fuck! His hold on his mate’s hair tightened slightly as his hips shot forward, bucking into his mouth. “I swear, you will be the death of me!” he muttered when Alec withdrew slowly before plunging back down. The sight of him, bobbing in place with his hands tied up, his Omega was pure perfection and deserved to be treated as such. He cupped Alec’s face, brushing his thumb along his cheekbone. “Undo the scarf, my love,” he said. They had done a lot of exploring over the last few months and as much as he loved tying his mate up, he didn't want him restrained, he wanted his hands free.

Alec clicked his fingers, even as he continued to slurp noisily on Magnus’ dick, and removed the scarf, flexing his fingers slightly, maybe it had been a bit tight. He looked up at Magnus, a confused frown on his face when he pulled back. “Magnus…?”

“Shhh” was Magnus’ only response before he bent down and scooped Alec up in his arms, carrying him over to their bed and laying him in the middle of it. He silently removed the rest of his clothing, smiling at the look of lust that filled Alec’s completely silver eyes. He crawled up the bed, pressing soft kisses into the skin of his mate's shin, trailing up to his knee. He grazed his teeth over the small weak spot on the side of Alec’s knee, smiling when he heard the hitch of his breath before continuing up along his thigh. He skimmed the back of his fingers up after his lips when his mate's legs fell open, bypassing his straining cock and sucking a small mark into his right hipbone.

Alec was in heaven, running his fingers through the perfectly spiked hair Magnus had spent no small amount of time styling before they had portalled to the institute. He felt goosebumps rise when Magnus’ lips continued their path across his stomach and up the side of his ribcage. The groan that escaped him, when Magnus took his left nipple into his mouth, would have been embarrassing with anyone else but his Alpha loved the sounds he made when they made love so he didn’t bother trying to hold it back.

The feeling of his mate's bump, pressing into his chest slightly as Alec arched his back, had Magnus grinning around his nipple. He rolled it between his tongue and teeth, the small gasps and moans streaming from Alec’s lips were like a symphony. He could listen to those sounds all day! He released the slightly darkened, swollen nipple and continued to the other one, paying it the same attention as the left one, his own groan escaping when Alec’s knees clenched around his hips and his fingers combed through his hair, pulling his head tighter to his chest.

“Magnus!” Alec breathed, barely able to draw breath into his straining lungs at the pleasure tingling through him right to the tips of his fingers and toes. He tugged at Magnus’ hair when his mates hips dipped down, brushing the length of his hard cock against his own hard dick, moaning at the friction. He hadn’t thought it possible but his pleasure rocketed, his already pounding heart rate spiking, when Magnus sucked on the bite he had marked him with, making his thighs clench harder around Magnus’ hips.

“I love you” Magnus whispered into his mate's neck as he reached down, skimming his hand up the back of Alec’s thigh and hitching his leg up higher until he felt it wrap around his back. He pressed another trail of kisses up his mate's beautiful long neck, smiling when Alec tilted his head back while his hips ground up, trying to get more friction. The softness of his mate's plump lips as he finally claimed them, pressed against his own, was drawing his already harsh breathing out in gasps.

“I. Love. You. More” Alec whispered against Magnus’ lips between soft, sweet kisses, kisses that he deepened with a flick of his tongue. He wanted to breathe Magnus’ air, gasping into his mouth when his Alpha’s tongue darted out in a slow dance with his that had butterflies battering the inside of his stomach. Even after every kiss, every soft breath against his skin, Magnus was still able to steal the breath from his lungs and the heart from his chest. He dug his fingers into Magnus’ back, feeling a desperate need to have every inch of their bodies touching.

Magnus brushed his thumb across the skin of Alec’s thigh, moaning into his mouth when the leg wrapped around his back tightened its hold, the feeling of his mate's heel, digging into his back, trying to pull him closer had his hips dipping once more. He could feel how hard his mate was, where his dick was pressed against his stomach, the way his mate’s other leg rubbed against his hips making it obvious that he needed more. He laughed, a soft chuckle when he heard the click of Alec’s fingers. “So impatient, love?” he asked against his lips, knowing exactly what he had done. 

“For you? Always” Alec whispered, staring up into those beautiful brown eyes, his face softening when he looked at the tiny golden amber flecks in what was left of his irises. He slammed his eyes closed, reaching up blindly with his lips when Magnus shifted slightly and slowly pushed into him, the lube and the magical preparation he had done with a click of his fingers working perfectly with Magnus’ movements for his mate to sink slowly inside.

Magnus claimed his Omega’s lips again, keeping his eyes wide open, against his instinct for them to slam closed at the tightness of his mate's body, to watch every minute movement on his face. If he had had a free hand, he would have traced the little crinkles that spread from the corner of his screwed up eyes, the evidence of his pleasure when his hips came to rest against Alec's ass. He released his mate's kiss-swollen lips, stopping his movements altogether to just take in his perfect face.

“What are you looking at?” Alec asked when he opened his eyes to see Magnus staring down at him. The way his Alpha’s eyes darted around as if he were trying to look at every millimetre of his face in one go, made his already erratic heart miss a beat. The look brought a shy smile to his lips. How did he do that? How did he make him feel like a young warlock, discovering love for the first time? How did he make him feel powerful and vulnerable all in the same breath? How did he make him want to bare his heart and his soul, not just his body, with just a look?

“My future. My life. Every wish and dream and hope I've ever fought for” Magnus said as he stared down at the most important thing in his existence, the most important things, he amended. He searched every part of his mates face, fixing it in his memory, never wanting to forget a single pore of his beautiful skin before he pressed his lips gently to his Omega’s. “Marry me” he whispered against them, pressing his lips down once more before pulling back to stare into his eyes.

Alec stared up at his Alpha, bringing his hand up to cup his face and brush his thumb across that perfect bottom lip. He felt the blood pounding through his head, blocking out every sound but his own racing heart. He searched his eyes, wanting to be sure he had heard correctly and saw nothing but love and hope and complete and utter devotion there. He had asked his mate to marry him in front of the gathered shadow world, a ‘political marriage’ he had said, with no intention of it ever being so, he had had every intention of it being a proper marriage, in every way. 

But this was more than that moment, it was his mate asking him out of love and the promise of the final commitment there was left for them to make to each other. He didn't even have to think his answer through. “Yes,” he whispered against Magnus’ lips before claiming them for himself. It was always going to be yes.

Magnus couldn't help the grin that crossed his face as he kissed his mate or the triumphant, happy laugh that burst from him, making Alec laugh as well, even as they tried to get even closer. It made the kiss sloppy and desperate and utterly imperfect but was perfect for them at that moment. The way Alec clutched his face and tightened his legs around him and the movement of his body as he laughed was stealing his breath and his will not to move.

Alec saw the look in his mates eyes, the darkening of his pupils as the dilated once more and wriggled his hips, wanting Magnus to move inside him. He nodded up at his Alpha, his eyes closing blissfully as Magnus pressed their foreheads together. They snapped back open when he heard his name on his mates lips, his gaze darting back to Magnus’ 

Never breaking eye contact, Magnus rolled his hips gently, slowly withdrawing from Alec before pushing back in. He smiled when Alec gasped out with each shallow thrust, the sounds synchronising with his own, all the while keeping his eyes wide open, even when he started moving his hips faster, thrusting deeper into his perfect body.

Alec removed one of his hands from Magnus’ face, wrapping his arm around his Alpha’s shoulder to steady himself when Magnus tilted his hips in that perfect angle. Even when his mate started to graze his prostate with each powerful, deep thrust he refused to close his eyes, wanting to share the moment with his mate in every way possible. He almost gave into the pleasure when Magnus skimmed the tip of his nose up the length of his own before pressing their sweaty foreheads back together. The feeling of Magnus’ shallow, ragged breaths against his lips, the soft sounds of his moans were pushing him on, closer to that inevitable edge. He wished he could drag it out and make it last a little bit longer but the pleasure was consuming him too fast and still, he gazed into his mate’s eyes, not knowing if he would ever have the strength to look away.

“Let go, love, come with me” Magnus gasped when it became too much to hold back, when he saw the strained look on Alec’s face and knew he was fighting a losing battle to prolong the moment. He took Alec’s breath, his long drawn out moan into his mouth in a searing kiss when they went together, their eyes slamming closed as each of them fell over the edge and exploded with nothing but a quick tightening to warn them. It took them both a long moment to come down from the high, each twitching with little aftershocks that sent another jolt of pleasure through the others body, his lips never leaving Alec’s the whole time. “I could stay like this forever and never get tired, never want to move,” he said with gasping breaths.

“Me too” Alec murmured, brushing his knuckles along the edge of Magnus’ jaw as he looked into his eyes again. He tightened the grip of his legs for just a moment, wanting to let his mate know that the only reason he was letting him free of the embrace was the shake of Magnus’ arms where he held himself up, clear of his bump. How Magnus had managed to bring him that much pleasure without once jostling or pressing down on the jellybeans he would never know but the strain was telling by the way his arms trembled so he unwound his legs, smiling when his mate kissed the tip of his nose as he pulled out.

Magnus pressed his lips to Alec’s nose, cheeks and to his forehead to distract him when he pulled out grinning when his Omega’s head came to rest on his chest the moment he settled next to him. He wrapped his arms tight around Alec’s body, drawing him just that little bit closer even as Alec clicked his fingers and had their thick, cotton covered duvet draped over them in an instant, the material cool against their overheated bodies. He pressed his lips to the top of Alec's head, murmuring unintelligible words against the soft, slightly damp strands of hair.

Alec’s eyes fluttered closed when he felt Magnus’ fingers comb through his hair, the gentle drag against his scalp almost had him dozing off before he remembered something Dot had done for him a few days before. He pushed himself up onto one elbow to look his mate in the eye. He had been waiting for the perfect time to use his new phrase, realising there was no more perfect time than now. “Aku Cinta Kamu,” he said, hoping he had got the pronunciation right. Dot had assured him that it was correct.

“How did… where… did you hear that?” Magnus asked as he stared up at his mate, seeing the deep flush that spread across his cheeks and flooded his chest with colour. 

“Dot taught it to me when I was round at their apartment the other day while you were covering for her at the institute,” Alec said, willing the blush he knew to be spreading across his cheeks to disappear. “She was teaching David some of her ‘mother tongue curse words’ so I asked her and she taught me” he said with a faint smile, shaking his head at the way David had learned each and every syllable she had taught him by heart, mainly so they could slate the people they didn't like right to their faces.

“Aku mencintaimu lebih” Magnus murmured, brushing his thumb across Alec’s cheekbone. He smiled when his mate leaned into the touch, pressing a kiss into his palm. It was a move that never failed to steal his breath, no matter how many times Alec did it.

“What does that mean?” Alec asked against Magnus’ palm. He looked into his mate’s brown eyes seeing how touched Magnus was that Alec had done that.

“It means I love you more,” Magnus said, chuckling at the way Alec’s eyes lit up when Magnus repeated his own favourite line back to him, something Alec always said when he told him he loved him. He accepted the soft kiss his mate pressed to his lips with a smile, holding him tighter when Alec settled into the crook of his neck. He groaned when he thought of Dot and David, his thoughts inevitably leading him to think of the rest of their friends and family “Izzy is going to kill me” he muttered, pulling one of Alec’s pillows from his side of the bed and burying his head under it.

“Ugh, you’re thinking of my sister at a time like this?” Alec asked the pillow. Great, now he was thinking about his sister! He burrowed his head under the pillow with Magnus. “Why is my sister going to kill you?” he asked curiously, Magnus’ childish urge to hide piquing his curiosity.

“Because… pass me my jacket,” Magnus said, lifting the pillow off their heads and throwing it across the room. He smiled when Alec did so with a wave of his hand. “Close your eyes,” Magnus said, grinning when Alec pressed his forehead down into his chest to hide his eyes, the soft tickle of his mate's breath against his chest raising goosebumps on his skin. He waited until his mate's eyes were firmly hidden before reaching into the pocket and pulling a small box out. He placed it on his own chest, right where Alec would see it when he lifted his head. “Open them” he whispered in Alec’s ear.

Alec looked up at the words in his ear, seeing a small scarlet coloured velvet box resting on his mate’s chest. His eyes darted up to look at Magnus before he plucked the box off his chest with his free hand, sitting up cross-legged and letting the covers pool around his hips as he eyed the box, his heart stuttering just a little. It took him a moment to spin the little brass hook, holding it closed, open with his shaking fingers before he pulled the box open to reveal a beautiful rose gold band. He removed the ring and pulled it up to eye level to inspect it before the breath left his lungs. “Magnus! Is this… was this…?” he couldn't finish the sentence as he stared at the ring, finally dragging his eyes away from it to look at his mate, seeing his nod. “How?” he asked, blinking back his tears.

“When I went to speak to Izzy, she had a talk with Simon and he agreed with her idea. I was touched, that she would do that” Magnus said, sitting up and taking his shaking mate in his arms and kissing his tears away. “She said it was the only piece of jewellery your mom owned and she wanted to share it with you. She took the ring off her finger and cast a spell over it, melting the metal into a small dish and making two rings from it. I don’t know how she did it but when they reformed, they still had the engravings on them. She put one back on and gave me the other. It isn’t the whole original ring but it’s a piece of her” he whispered in Alec’s ear, hoping he had done the right thing and that his mate wasn’t mad at him, for destroying the only possession they had left of his mom’s.

Alec let out a soft chuckle as he stared at the ring in his hand, brushing his finger over the tiny engravings on the band, tiny little flames and clouds decorating the entire circumference. “My mom had Cat make this for her after she found her house in the middle of the woods. She told us, when we were older, that she had had her engrave the flames and clouds on it because they reminded her of our warlock marks and that even though we covered them with glamours, she was proud of her children, of what we were. This way she could see it and think of us” he said around the lump in his throat. “When she died, this passed to me. It was mine for a long time until Izzy met Simon. When he came to me and asked for her hand, I was happy to give it to him, knowing it belonged on her finger. I was a little sad at first, maybe selfishly so, wanting to keep it for when I found my own mate. But the proud look on her face when she showed me told me it was the right thing to do” he said, looking up at Magnus. 

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked when he saw the worried look on Magnus’ face. He smoothed the line of his eyebrows, not wanting to see that expression mar his beautiful face. “What is it?” he asked, his tone a little bit more gentle.

“Are you… is it okay, that I did this?” Magnus asked, gesturing to the ring. Izzy had told him that the ring belonged to Maryse Lightwood but not the rest of the story. The thought that their mom had worn it, out of a sense of pride for something that the siblings seemed to hate about themselves, made him feel awful for destroying it. He wished that he had just gone to a store and picked something out. If he had known, he never would have let Izzy do it. “Alexander, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what it meant, if I had, I...!” he cut off when Alec pinched his lips closed.

“Don’t ever apologise for this, it’s perfect. It’s something I would have never thought of. And the fact that I get to share it with my sister, that we both get to have a piece to keep forever, that only makes it better. Thank you” Alec said, meaning every word. He was thankful that his sister had thought of it and touched that his mate wanted to give him something so precious, even if he didn’t know the full story behind the sentimentality behind it. “I love it and I love you. Now put it on me already” he said with a grin, handing the ring back and holding his left hand up.

Magnus laughed, a small sound of relief huffing out of him as he took Alec’s hand and slid the ring onto his ring finger. It slid on easily, a little too easily. “It appears Izzy erred on the side of caution,” Magnus said with a frown when he realised the ring was too big. “Maybe you could, like, you know… zap it or something, to make it fit” he said, looking up to see his mate laughing at him.

“Zap it?” Alec asked, trying desperately to hold the laugh in and failing miserably. He felt awful for making fun of his mate and snuck a quick kiss to make up for it, Zap it indeed! He looked down at the ring, thinking for a long moment before inspiration struck. He got up and walked into his closet, taking out an old jewellery box and carrying it back to the bed. He felt Magnus’ curious gaze on him but dug through it until he found what he was looking for. 

“Izzy was partly right, this was the only ring my mom wore on her hand, but it wasn’t the only piece of jewellery she owned,” Alec said with a shake of his head. “Izzy never knew about this. When we were first learning to use our magic, I conjured this for my mom. She explained that she couldn't wear it because it was too big and a man's ring but she wore it on a chain around her neck, so she could keep it close to her heart, she said. My sister and I were very competitive when we were kids, we still are, but she never missed an opportunity to rub it in when she learned something faster than her ‘big brother’ so I begged my mom not to tell Izzy, embarrassed that I had got it wrong, and she never did. I was only six at the time” Alec said with a shake of his head. He took the ring he had conjured all those years ago and measured it on his mate's finger not showing him it just yet.

Magnus tried to get a look at the ring but his mate had it away before he could see it. He watched as Alec conjured a small bowl and went to work, melting the ring into the bowl and doing something to his own band. He watched in silence, trying to imagine a six-year-old Alec, flushing with embarrassment as a faceless woman told him the ring wasn't right. He imagined she had let him down gently, probably loving them fiercely from the way Alec talked of her. “I wish I could have met her, she sounds amazing,” he said softly, not wanting to break his mate's concentration as he worked. 

He grunted in surprise when Alec clicked his fingers, it looked as though he had pulled something from his head. He looked down when Alec handed him a photo of a beautiful woman. She was a mixture of Alec and Izzy with long dark hair that reached past her waist and a simple, if not extremely old-fashioned high necked dress. She was surrounded by trees and flowers. She didn't look ecstatic, but she looked content, Alec’s side smile tugging at her lips. “She was beautiful,” Magnus said, looking up at his mate.

“That is my favourite memory of her” Alec said, pointing to a small flower tucked into Maryse’ hair. “Izzy used to make her wear flowers in her hair, something my mom wouldn't’ dream of doing usually but when she used to take us to play in the meadow that surrounded Cat’s cottage, she used to let her hair down and Izzy used to put flowers in it. She was a stoic woman and had led a hard life before she met Cat, barely ever smiling from the scars her past had left her with. But the friendship and kindness Cat showed her allowed her to smile now and then, for us. It was dazzling when she did” he said “despite all she had been through, and what we were, she loved us fiercely,” he said in a whisper.

“Because you are easy to love, both of you,” Magnus said when he saw the expression on Alec’s face, it was almost one of confusion like he didn’t understand why she loved him. “You make those around you fall for you so easily. It wasn’t your fault, Alexander. You come from a time where people were ignorant. Ignorance breeds fear which in turn, breeds hatred. It is far easier to blame others for your fears rather than face them. So they blamed her for what they couldn’t explain, needing a scapegoat. They would have chased her away, whether you and Izzy were born or not, out of hatred for something that they couldn’t understand. If it weren't for the two of you and her strength and willingness to protect you, she would never have left that life behind, never have met Cat and never found peace” he said, tipping Alec’s face up to show him the truth of his words with his eyes. 

“I'm sorry” Alec mumbled. “I didn’t mean to ruin…”

“You have ruined nothing,” Magnus said fiercely “I hope you will share more stories of her with me, even the sad ones. They are part of your past, part of you and I want all of you, Alexander lightwood. Now, why don't you show me what you have done?” he asked, gesturing to the object his mate was holding in his hand before pressing a kiss to the tip of his mate's nose, grinning when Alec smiled with a shake of his head.

“So, my mom hid this ring from Izzy, for me. She wore it on a chain under her dress and never took it off until it passed back to me with the other one” Alec said when he had gotten control over his emotions. He sent the bowl and the jewellery box away with a wave of his hand and shuffled closer to Magnus. “Will you wear it?” he asked hopefully, showing the ring to his mate.

“I would be honoured,” Magnus said as he stared down at the ring. It was a white gold band that almost looked like a wider version of a solitaire ring. In place of a diamond, there was a small piece of the rose gold band, embedded seamlessly into place, looking as though it had been there all along. He stared at it when he saw the little engraving of a cloud on the rose gold part, the symbol that represented Alec, it was perfect. And the fact that both pieces had belonged to his mother-in-law, even if he had never gotten to meet her, meant the world to him. She was important to Alec, which meant she was important to him. He smiled when Alec took the ring and slid it onto his ring finger, the smile turning into a full-on grin when it fit perfectly.

Alec stared at the ring with glowing eyes, the small rose gold section of the ring sitting beautifully with the colour of Magnus’ skin and the combination of the two making the white gold really stand out. It looked perfect on his hand. He laughed when his mate took the rose gold ring and slid it onto his ring finger again, this time, a perfect fit. He linked his pinkie finger with Magnus’ admiring the effect when they were next to each other. He smiled at the grin on Magnus’ face when his mate realised there was a tiny section of the white gold ring embedded in his own. They were the perfect match.

“Beautiful, just like the woman who wore them,” Magnus said, pressing a soft kiss to both rings before pulling his mate back down under the covers and wrapping himself around Alec, trailing his fingers over his bump and grinning every time the ring caught the light.

“Magnus?” Alec asked, watching his mate curiously as he ran his hand through the disarray that sat atop his Alpha’s head, trying to tame it into some sort of style. “Why exactly is my sister going to kill you?” he asked when Magnus just hummed up at him. He laughed when Magnus groaned and hid his face in his bump.

“Because I was supposed to propose to you tonight, on our date” Magnus mumbled into the skin of his mates stomach. “We had it all planned out. I hired The Hunter’s moon. We were supposed to have a private dinner, with a fancy dessert and a big speech, which I spent hours writing, by the way. Then everyone was going to jump out if you said yes” he said with a shake of his head.

“That sounds… complicated. And as if I would have said no!” Alec said with a laugh. “Wait, when you say, everyone…?”

“I mean everyone. All of our friends and family” Magnus said with a shudder. “They were all going to hide in the back and jump out,” he said forlornly.

“You where right, Izzy is going to kill you. No doubt most of that was her doing?” Alec asked with a shake of his head, it had her name written all over it! He much preferred the way Magnus had done it, just the two of them, in private. It was perfect.

“When I went to ask her, she just kind of ambushed me,” Magnus said with a shake of his head, remembering how excited she had been. “The desert was my idea though!” he said proudly.

“When you went to ask her what?” Alec asked, his fingers stilling in confusion as he stared down at Magnus.

“For your hand, for her blessing for us to get married,” Magnus said, shouldn't it be obvious? “I couldn't ask your mom, so Izzy was the only other person I could ask. I mean, I could have gone to Cat I suppose, but you and Izzy are so close, I thought it best to ask her. I was prepared for her reaction, but she still reached a few previously unheard of decibels. I think only dogs were able to hear her by the end. She said yes then proceeded to plan almost every part of the night, apart from the desert of course, that one was all me. Are you… okay?” he asked when he stopped rambling long enough to look up at his mate.

Alec was stunned. Magnus had asked his sister for his hand in marriage, just how it would have been back in his day. Well, maybe not the same. They wouldn't have been allowed to marry in mundane terms and his sister wouldn't have even been considered as someone to be asked the favour of. But a suitor would have asked the parents, or, in the absence of a parent, the eldest sibling’s blessing first. He had never, in his entire life, felt the need to swoon at something, even the thought of it being ridiculous to him. But he felt it now. His mate was beyond sweet! He leaned down and kissed the worried look right off his Alpha's face, grinning when Magnus chased the kiss with a pout of his lips, his eyes closed blissfully. “Thank you, for doing that, it would have meant a lot to my sister and it means a lot to me,” he said.

“Will you remind her of that? When she goes for my throat?” Magnus asked with a shudder, just thinking of her reaction, when she finds out he ruined her surprise, filled him with horror. He couldn't say he regretted it though, not with the ring sitting on his mate's finger.

“We can still go, we’ll just make it an engagement party,” Alec said with a dazed grin. And engagement party, for him! He never thought he’d see the day. “What time are we supposed to be there?” he asked.

“Two hours,” Magnus said when he glanced up at the clock. “That's plenty of time,” he said with a grin, stroking his hand up his mate’s thigh suggestively with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He grinned when he saw the flash of silver in Alec’s eyes before pulling him down the bed and throwing the covers over their heads, laughing along when his mate giggled as he nuzzled into his neck. Plenty of time indeed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was never not going to have them pregnant with twins, was I? for those of you who haven't read my other stuff, it's kind of my thing, don't ask why because I don't have a clue??????
> 
> Aku Cinta Kamu dears!!!


	30. Chapter 30

Alec chewed quietly as he looked at the three outfits he had narrowed his choices down too. He could go with the green silk button down, black slim fit pants and black frock coat. But the shirt was starting to get a little tight around his middle, he thought to himself, biting savagely into his sandwich. Maybe the bright red v neck cashmere sweater with the black leather pants and alligator boots? Perhaps he could wear his favourite suspenders with it or was that too casual? He pondered. Probably. He stuffed his last bite in, savouring the tangy goodness of the pickles before his eyes landed on the last outfit. A light grey 3 piece pinstripe suit with a crisp white shirt. He wondered for a moment if it were too much before snorting to himself, it was his engagement party. He dashed off to grab a shower before he got dressed.

Magnus, unknowingly, was having the same problem as his fiance. He grinned to himself as he thought the word, fiddling absentmindedly with the edge of the white towel sitting low on his hips. He was secretly glad he and Alec had separate closet’s, he didn’t want to stand there second-guessing himself while Alec made small noises at his choices. 

He had been trying to make an effort to wear more colour lately so he settled for a midnight blue, close enough to black for comfort, 3 piece suit in some shiny material that he didn’t know the name of, if it wasn't denim or leather, he wasn’t usually interested. A crisp white shirt and a matching blue tie. He dressed quickly, selecting a pair of cufflinks, shaped like his angelic rune, that Alec had had made for him and shining dress shoes before swiping some wax into his hair and running his fingers through it before deciding on a side parting. He looked at himself as he smoothed his hair down, nothing like his usual mohawk, but tonight was special!

Alec stared at his reflection in the mirror in his closet, fiddling with the fireworks cufflinks Magnus had given him, saying they reminded him of his magic before putting them back and rolling his sleeves up instead, grinning when he thought of Magnus’ reaction to that. He had decided to leave the blazer jacket off and forego a tie, leaving the top three buttons of his white shirt open, exposing just a small patch of chest hair. He adjusted the little strap on the back of his vest, making it sit properly around his bump. 

He smirked when he clicked his fingers, instantly tying the laces on his patent crocodile skin ankle boots, that would come in handy, he thought to himself. He already got out of breath when he bent down for something, not that he would admit that to Magnus, he would never let him pick up anything again until he gave birth. He adjusted the hems of his trousers to sit nicely over the top of his boots before giving himself a last glance. He moved a stray bit of his hair back up into the quiff he had styled it into and fixed it in place with magic. Perfect! He thought as he waltzed out of his closet, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Magnus.

“You look… perfect” Magnus said when he spotted his mate, emerging from his closet. He gaped at Alec’s handsome features, the suit matching his unglamoured eyes perfectly. Perfect, what a superfluous word, he thought. Stunning, spectacular, breathtaking, gorgeous, hot as fuck. Any and all of them described Alec. He stalked forward, unsure that this afternoons… activities had given him his fill of his dashing mate. “Hey,” he said when he wrapped his arms around Alec, his breath catching when he realised for the first time that Alec had rolled his sleeves up. Fuck! his mate knew what that did to him!

“I’m lost for words,” Alec said as he took a step back for a second to admire his mate. Magnus always looked gorgeous, but tonight he looked stunning, blue really was his colour! His eyes inspected every inch, like a predator, eyeing its prey. Lilith! He wondered if they had time for a quickie before they went. Magnus’ hair, styled like something from the 50’s, one of his favourite era’s, was doing things to him. He smirked when he thought about how much he would get to gloat that Magnus was his. “You look stunning” he whispered as he stepped back into his Alpha’s embrace, claiming his lip’s in an almost possessive kiss that would leave his mate with no doubt of the… activities they would be partaking in when they got home that night.

“Not as stunning as you,” Magnus said, his eyes sweeping up and down his body once more before zeroing in on his bump. He dropped to one knee, putting him eye level with his babies. “Hello, my little jellybeans. Your dad looks beautiful tonight. Be prepared for aunt Izzy’s screams when she finds out there's two of you” he said with a grin before pressing a trail of kisses along Alec’s stomach, wishing there wasn’t so much material in the way. He knew, however, that his mate would not thank him for wrinkling his suit. So he smoothed it down and stood up. “What?” he asked when he caught Alec staring at him with glowing eyes.

“Nothing, it’s just, you are adorable when you talk to them” Alec murmured, a half smile ghosting his lips. His mate, talking to their children with that adoring, soft expression on his face was something else! “Shall we?” he asked, waving his arm to create a portal and smirking when the lamplight shone off his ring. It had a happy sigh huffing from his lip’s. He produced a bucket, just in case and took the hand Magnus offered him, interlocking their fingers before stepping through.

Magnus was already rubbing Alec’s back cautiously as they emerged from the portal, smiling when Alec sent the bucket away when his stomach didn’t rebel after a minute. He looked through the windows of the bar, smiling at a memory, he could smile about it now, even if it had been torture at the time. “Remember when you said we should name our first daughter, Hennessy?” he asked his mate with a small smile.

“Mother of demons, I was drunk that night,” Alec said with a groan. He remembered it well, he had made a fool of himself in front of half of Luke’s pack. “I said, Hennessy Lightwood-Bane had a nice ring to it. I wasn’t wrong, I kind of like it” he said with a grin. 

“What are we going to call the other one? Johnny Walker? Bacardi? Jim Bean? How about we just skip brands and go straight for Vodka or whiskey?” Magnus asked with a chuckle, though he did have to admit, he kind of liked it too. He shook his head when Alec laughed.

“I don’t know, Walker has a nice ring to it for a boy, we don’t know what we're having yet,” Alec said with a wink, laughing at the incredulous look on Magnus’ face before he rolled his eyes. “You know how stubborn the Lightwoods are, you know I will win,” he said with a laugh. He would work on his mate until he gave in, maybe with a mouth around his cock and a finger in his ass he would cave, Alec thought to himself with a sly grin.

“You really want to name our children after brands of alcohol?” Magnus asked with a shake of his head, trying to hide his smile. He would let his mate sweat for a while but he actually liked them and nobody had to know how they had come up with them, he thought with a chuckle. 

“You know you like them too, and anyway, alcohol is social lubrication. Our children will be social butterflies” Alce said with a wink. “Come on, I can feel my sister’s impatient aura from here,” he said. He interlocked their fingers once more and pulled a reluctant Magnus into the bar.

Magnus looked around, impressed with the effort his sister-in-law had gone to. There were more lanterns strung from the ceiling, the only light source in the room. There was one table set up in the middle of the room, all the others having been removed and it was lit with a single candelabra. It looked as though it were set for fine dining. Even the pool table was covered over. He smiled at Maia, whom he assumed Izzy had roped into coming back for one last night, her council position being her now full-time job.

“He already proposed, you can all come out” Alec roared. They had discussed going through with the charade but that would have meant taking their rings off and neither of them was willing to remove them now that they were in place. He groaned when his sister marched out with fire in her eyes, moving to put himself between Magnus and Izzy, something that didn’t sit well with his mate at all. “Izzy, we’re having twins” Alec announced, flashing the scan photos, diverting her attention in an instant before Magnus pulled him behind his body with a snarl.

“Twins?” Izzy said, forgetting to chew them out for a moment. They were having twins! Like she had. She smiled wide, reigning in the noise that was desperate to escape her. She flung herself on Magnus, pulling her brother into the hug too as her excitement for them bubbled up inside her. “Congratulations” she managed to get out without screaming. “That was a good move, Alec. what happened?” she asked, trying to get a good look at her brother's hand, had they at least saved the giving of the ring for her to witness?

“I couldn’t wait, I promise though it was perfect,” Magnus said, letting Alec out from behind him when Izzy’s glamour settled back in place and wrapping his arms around his mate and children.

“Perfect? I want details, Magnus Bane” Izzy demanded, still trying to see her brothers hand. She wanted to see their mom’s ring on his finger. She looked between them, unable to decipher the look they shared. “Come on, tell me, I want to know everything” she pleaded, using her puppy dogs on her brother.

“Well, if you must know,” Alec said with an evil grin. “Magnus was inside me and…” he cut off with a laugh when his sister covered her ears with a horrified expression on her face. “But I thought you wanted every detail?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.

“As long as it was romantic, I’m okay not knowing the details,” Izzy said quickly with a shudder but an affectionate smile for the happy look on their faces. “Come on then, show me the ring,” Izzy said, clapping her hands with a sparkle in her eye. She frowned when she saw it, wondering where the white gold piece had come from. “What…?” she asked before Magnus held his hand out, showing her a ring on his finger. “Mom’s ring, I thought she had lost this,” she said as she stared down at the white gold band, a small piece of the rose gold band set into it. The sight of it had a lump forming in her throat.

“You’ve seen this before?” Alec asked, staring at his sister. How? Their mom had promised she would never tell. He could feel the blush creeping across his cheeks.

“I watched you conjure it for mom,” Izzy said, a small smile on her lips when she looked up at her brother. “I was watching you, I was going to jump out and laugh at you because you got it wrong but you started crying. You had been so proud when you presented it to her. When she held you and told you she loved it but it wouldn't fit her you cried because you were embarrassed. When you asked her not to tell me, I didn’t want to laugh at you anymore, I felt terrible so I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to be embarrassed. I am so happy that you kept it and found a good use for it, she would have been happy that you gave it to your mate” she whispered, cupping her hand to his cheek. “Congratulations, to both of you, she would have loved you like her own boy, Magnus,” she said, squeezing his hand with her free one.

“Thank you, Isabelle,” Magnus said, pulling her into a hug. “And thank you for looking out for him and protecting his feelings” he whispered in her ear, giving her an extra squeeze before releasing her to her brother. He didn't even growl.

“You never said anything, all these years,” Alec said as he looked down at her, not a question, just a surprised but grateful statement as he held her as close as his bump allowed. “Thank you. It really was romantic though, it was perfect for us” he whispered before he saw Simon’s head poking out through the door to the back room.

“Is it safe to come out now?” Simon yelled, holding the rest of them back until his wife’s ire had passed, he was protecting them from his fiery mate, he thought with a chuckle. He took a cautious step forward, sighing with relief when nothing was on fire and Magnus still had all his limbs, letting everyone trail him. He bounded forward to congratulate them, laughing when they showed him a couple of scan photos. “Twins! Just wait until they get bigger and start tag teaming the pair of you, you don’t know what you’re in for” he said with a rueful grin, a second before Olivia got him in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground, David cheering her on. 

“Got to keep the moves sharp, old man” Olivia said with a laugh, accepting a high five from her brother. She jumped up and swept her uncles up into a hug, elbowing Magnus in the stomach when he started growling. “Quit it, nobody here would harm him or the babies. Dot never said a thing, she’s locked up tighter than the spiral labyrinth” she said with a grin for Dot. “let's see the ring?” she asked, her bright green eyes glowing when she saw both rings, they were gorgeous! 

“It wasn't my place to say anything,” Dot said with a grin. As soon as she had left the institute to help with the decorating, something none of them had let her do, Izzy and Olivia had started grilling her for details. She had smiled and changed the subject each time they had asked a question. 

“None of you will get anything out of her so you might as well save your breath” Magnus chuckled. He looked around at the gathered crowd, a feeling of pride welling up when he saw all their friends and family, everyone waiting eagerly to congratulate them. He saw Chris and Steven making their way towards them, he tried not to stare at Chris.

“Congratulations guys, there's a rumour going around that you’re expecting twins, we’re so happy for you,” Chris said, taking no offence when he saw Magnus pull Alec behind him slightly, he didn’t blame him. “Don’t worry, Magnus, I’m adjusting quite well, Apparently,” he said with a smile, leaning into steven when his mate wrapped his arms around him.

“Of course you are,” Alec said to the recently turned vampire, ignoring Magnus’ tug when he reached forward to shake hands with the couple. “It suits you, you both look happy,” he said, his eyes glowing at the peaceful, happy expressions on their faces. He was happy for them.

“I'm sorry, Swanson, I’m just protective over them, please forgive me,” Magnus said, feeling like a bit of an asshole, he knew Chris would never harm his mate, it had just been an automatic reaction to the newly minted predator. 

“There’s nothing to forgive, I’m sure Steven will be the same when it is our turn,” Chris said, laughing when Steve’s chin bounced on his shoulder as he nodded emphatically. “And it’s soon to be Swanson-Underhill, we are just waiting for my next heat to come in before we mate,” he said with a wink

“I can’t wait,” Steve said, rubbing his joined hands down over his mate’s stomach as he thought about starting a family. “We can’t thank you both enough, I have waited a long time for my mate to come along, you have made it possible for us to have a family of our own so thank you,” he said sincerely.

“There’s no need to thank us” Alec said, still not used to receiving thanks from the mated pairs they had met over the last few months, when he had set out to have his mate, he had done it for them, the fact that they had helped others was a bonus as far as he was concerned. He smiled when Chris and Steven just shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

“I received a letter from Roger, he and Anna asked us to pass their thanks on too,” Steve said, with a smile, happy for the pair they had helped. “Anna is recovering slowly but surely, with Rogers help. They mated 2 weeks ago and want to visit when she is more settled, to thank you both in person” he said.

“That would be amazing, I’m so glad she is feeling better,” Alec said, it would be good to see the pair. He knew Dot would love to see Anna again too. “Please excuse us, I think Cat and Sebastian are getting impatient,” he said with a laugh when he saw Sebastian towing her through the crowd at top speed.

“What kind of party do you call this, Lightwood? there aren't even any strippers!” Sebastian said, his laughter booming out at the eye roll Cat aimed his way. “Fuck! I never thought I’d see the day you were settled with a bloke and a couple of kids on the way, It suits you, old man” he said, dodging out the way of Alec’s elbow with a twinkle in his eye.

“Who are you calling old man?” Alec asked. He pulled Sebastian into a crushing hug, as much as his stomach allowed, before shoving him away to give Cat a more gentler hug. “This is our engagement party, Sebastian. Not one of your debauched… dinner parties” he said with a shake of his head.

“Ah, but what fun we had at those, dearest,” Sebastian said, throwing his head back with laughter at the look on Magnus’ face. A cross between curiosity and scowl aimed his way. “I apologise, surely Alec was a virgin when you met,” he said with a wink.

“Piss off Sebastian, stop winding him up,” Alec said, smiling when his fist connected with his friend's stomach and the air huffed out of him. He pulled Magnus’ arms around his waist and snuggled his back against his Alpha’s chest, humming contentedly when Magnus’ chin came to land on his shoulder. “Go and make yourself useful and find some good music to put on, I want to dance with my mate” he muttered in Sebastian's direction.

“That’s what you get,” Cat said when Sebastian turned to her, looking as though he were expecting her to scold Alec for his behaviour. “Go on, get out of here you dirty little bastard,” she said, her amusement at his antics clear in her tone. “I wish your mom was here, she would have been so proud of what you’ve accomplished, what both of you have accomplished,” Cat said, a lump rising in her throat as she thought of her old friend, how she missed her! She gazed at the boy she thought of as her son, smiling at the happy look on his face and the way the couple swayed to their own music, their joined hands resting over their children. She pulled them into a silent hug before dashing off, not wanting to cry.

Alec turned in the cage of his mate's arms when Sebastian got the music going. He locked his wrists around the back of Magnus’ neck, smiling when Magnus started fiddling with the strap on the back of his vest. “Are you happy? He asked, staring into his mates eyes as they began to sway on the spot, not needing any of the fancy dance moves he knew Simon and Izzy would be performing any moment.

“I don't know if I’d say happy,” Magnus said with a grin. He brushed back the few strands of his mate's unruly hair where they flopped down over his forehead, kissing the line his eyebrows made. “I’d say more like ecstatic, jubilant, overwhelmed. The man I love is carrying my children, plural. I have a family after being without one for so long, you have agreed to be my husband and my parabatai is more at peace than I've ever seen her. Happy seems like a silly word in comparison to my feelings, love,” he said, pressing his lips to the tip of Alec’s nose.

“Are you reading my mind?” Alec asked suspiciously, eliciting a chuckle from his Alpha. “Seriously though, in all the years I’ve been alive, I’ve never been happier. This, what we have, it’s better than anything I ever imagined when I thought of what it would be like to be mated. The only thing that would make this moment better is if I had something to eat, I’m starving again” he said, giving Magnus his best sad look.

“Isabelle, your brother is hungry, fetch him something sweet” Magnus shouted across the room with a grin, laughing when he saw her eyes light up before she dashed away. “She’s going to bring your dessert out,” he said, trying to smother the grin threatening to break out.

“The one that was your idea?” Alec asked, intrigued at the sparkle in his mate's eye. He looked around, seeing his sister parting the crowd with a plate in her hand. He tried to get a good look as she bulldozed her way towards them but she held it high. He watched with amusement as she presented the plate to him, his eyes going wide when he saw it. “This was how you were going to do it?” he asked, staring down at the plate, ignoring the way everyone was watching them. There was a small pile of profiter rolls in one corner of the plate and the words ‘will you marry me?’ written in what looked like strawberry sauce. It was the sweetest thing he had ever seen, even after Magnus had already proposed, the sight of it made his heart skip a beat.

“Yes, Mr Bane, I will marry you,” Alec said with a grin, much to the crowd’s delight. Before sending them wild when he pulled Magnus in for a kiss. His breath caught when Magnus invaded his mouth, tangling his hands in the back of his Alpha’s hair to pull him closer. They both jumped when a series of loud pop’s burst their happy bubble. He looked up to see Sebastian, Cat and Izzy all popping champagne bottles, shaking his head sadly when Cat came forward with a glass of none alcoholic wine, it was a poor substitute but for a good reason so he didn’t complain. “Aren’t you having any?” he asked when Magnus signalled that she bring him one too.

“This is fine, love,” Magnus said, taking pity on his mate and forgoing the alcohol too, it wasn't as though he needed it, his happiness was stood right next to him, he didn't need to go looking in the bottom of a bottle for it. He smiled at their friends and family, Izzy and Simon swinging each other around the dancefloor. Dot and David grazing from a couple of plates piled high with an odd assortment of foods. Olivia and Lethabo singing and dancing along to the jukebox. Chris and Steven were sneaking out of the door, barely able to keep their hands off each other and Cat and Sebastian slow dancing to the upbeat music. There were a few more smiling faces here and there but his family, laughing and enjoying themselves was all he could focus on.

“Let’s dance,” Alec said, grabbing their glasses and putting them on the table. He swung Magnus out onto the dancefloor, grinning when Magnus broke out dance moves he hadn’t even known he possessed, his mate could dance!


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait folks, I wasn't well yesterday so I wasn't able to write. hope you enjoy and the time jump isn't too long. I laughed so hard writing this one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My twitter account went tits up today during power hour, needless to say, I almost cried! I thought I was shadowbanned at first but it sorted itself out after an hour or so. Please remember to add the ### #SaveShadowhunters along with the day's hashtag to all of your tweets, even the mundane ones! and check out my parabatri's work, their fic names/handles are in the endnotes, trust me, you won't be disappointed! Tommy is the master of Malec angst and Heidi is the queen of Malec fluff! Apparently, I'm the smut whore (insert flamenco dancing lady emoji here) I'll try to be a bit faster with my next chapter

8 weeks later…

Dot rolled the scanner over her stomach, beaming with pride at the image on the screen, her baby! She watched as he moved around on the screen, now convinced that the gas she thought she had been feeling over the last few days was actually the baby moving as she felt it bubble up with every movement she saw him make.

“He is adorable, I wish we had these scanners when I was pregnant,” Izzy said, her glamour gone and eyes glowing as she watched her grandson moving around. “Look at his little hands and feet, maybe he will be a dancer,” she said with an awestruck smile. 

“How do you know though, mom?” David asked. He was staring at the screen, trying to decern whether his mom’s prediction that Dot was pregnant with their son was correct. She was 16 weeks so he couldn't tell but his mom had insisted. “How do you know for sure, that he’s a boy?” he asked, tearing his eyes away to see her smiling, knowing expression.

“I’ve been doing this for over 200 years, son. I wouldn't be very good at it if I couldn't even tell the sex” Izzy said with a laugh. She had known, just like she had for every other downworlder that had ever come to her, she was never wrong!

“Come on, your turn” Dot said, printing off a picture of her baby, another one. She stuffed it into her wallet to inspect later before she would hang it up with the others. She and David had decided to hang a timeline of their scan pictures in the long hallway that led into their penthouse apartment. They had used black frames against the stark white walls, the effect was quite striking, their pictures lining each side of the hallway. She rubbed the gel from her bump and hopped down off the bed, making way for her mate.

David gave her neat bump a quick kiss before sitting on the bed and pulling his t-shirt up over his much larger bump, gasping when Dot poured the gel on his stomach, it was cold! He ignored the discomfort of the pressure on his bladder when she started rolling the scanner over his bump, grinning when he saw the image.

“There are my beautiful baby girls,” Dot said, her eyes lighting up when she saw the image of the twins show up on the screen. She had been much more willing to take Izzy’s word for it when she had insisted that she was pregnant with a boy and he was pregnant with twin girls. He was only a week ahead of her but his bump was huge compared hers. She watched them moving around, love and pride bubbling up in her, it looked like they were holding hands.

“I can’t wait to meet all three of them” Izzy breathed, holding Dot’s free hand. Three grandbabies! She had been in love with her own children from the moment she had realised they existed but she was surprised to find she was just as in love with the three of them. She had already insisted her and Simon would be the chief babysitters.

“How did we get so lucky?” David asked, brushing his fingers over the screen, wishing he could hold them in his arms, he was so far gone on his three children it almost made him ache. Dot had been scared that he would love the twins more than the boy she was carrying, only admitting it after he had woken to find her crying. She had been embarrassed that she was so emotional before stuttering her fears out but he loved all three of them equally. He watched them for a few moments more, smiling as he watched what he could feel from the inside before his mate printed another picture off and wiped the gel from his stomach, her fingers brushing gently over his skin.

Dot smiled when she heard her Omega’s breathing shallow, her fingers brushing the sensitive spot on his stomach. They were both being driven mad by their raging hormones, constantly fucking any time the opportunity presented itself. They justified their hot, sweaty animal sex, each saying they had to get as much in as possible as it was getting harder and harder to make love, the bigger they got. They had stocked up on sex toys when they had realised logistics were going to be a problem, neither of them complaining when they had started testing them out. The thought of them trying out a couple more tonight made her want to drag him through the nearest portal.

“Another one for the wall,” Izzy said when David passed her the picture of her granddaughters. She was building up quite the collection herself. “Print another one off for us, Simon hates missing these scans. You are going to have to do one at night so he can come to one. Either that or let me at the wards surrounding the institute so I can portal him straight in” she said with a grin.

“You know I can’t do that” Dot said with a shake of her head but an affectionate grin for her mother-in-law. They had had the same conversation countless times but with the downworld and the clave now working together, however tenuous the relationship between the two may be at times, every institute had had their wards upgraded meaning no more portals inside the walls of the institute. “We will do a night time one in a couple of days. And I’ve been thinking about having an external chamber added to the institute, a portal room as such so you can portal him straight here without fear of the sunlight” she said with a grin. She checked her watch, Magnus and Alec were due for their 20-week scan any minute.

“He will be thrilled,” Izzy said, grinning when Dot handed her another scan picture to add to her collection. “He has been spending the last three nights getting the nursery at our place ready,” she said, smiling when she remembered coming back from the last scan. She had found him emptying the guest room out, insisting that their grandchildren had a room at their house. He had finally put the last crib together last night. “Don't tell him I told you, he wanted it to be a sur…” she cut off when the door crashed open, to reveal her brother, looking like something from a horror movie as he mauled the sandwich he had in a death grip in his hand.

“I am begging, on every angel and demon, remove those fucking wards” Alec snarled as he barged into the room, almost kicking the door out of his way. “Have you seen what I am fucking wearing! People have seen me in these” he growled, stuffing another bite of his sandwich in his mouth, savagely ripping off a chunk in his anger, barely chewing as he tried to stalk through the door. “These trousers are elasticated! Fucking ELASTICATED” he snarled at his slow pace because of his huge bump.

Magnus gave Dot, David and Izzy a small wave as he followed Alec quietly into the room, shaking his head at them when they all opened their mouths. If they valued their teeth, they wouldn't comment on his mates pants. He closed the door before helping Alec onto the bed that David hastily vacated at the death glare Alec was aiming at him.

“Alec, you’re glowing,” Izzy said, her tone conveying a bravery she didn’t feel. She looked everywhere but at his huge bump, he was a little… sensitive about it lately. She wondered how quickly she could vacate the room without looking like she was running away.

“Are you joking? Look at me, I’m the size of a fucking house” Alec said incredulously, he didn't miss the way none of them would look at him. “Why is he so tiny compared to me? He’s only 4 weeks behind me, it’s not fair” he said, pointing at his nephew with his tiny little bump. He scowled at the choking noise David was making.

“Every pregnancy is different, love,” Magnus said, cupping Alec’s face. He had started reading up after the last scan they had, feeling woefully unprepared. He certainly wasn’t prepared for his mate’s mood swings. He had been tired but okay this morning, until he had to get dressed to come to the institute. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to Raziel that he had managed to convince Alec to put pants on, he had taken to wearing these horrific kaftans because nothing else would fit. “You look gorgeous,” he said earnestly.

“You did this to me” Alec breathed in Magnus’ direction before he felt tears well up. Great! He was crying, again! “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that I’m just so uncomfortable and they won't let up! It feels like they are training for the world cup. I just want to sleep, just for one night” he sniffled, blinking up at his Alpha.

“It’s okay, don’t apologise, maybe they will sleep tonight and let you get some rest,” Magnus said, moving his hand down to his mate's monumental stomach to feel his babies kick. He didn’t even try to hold back the grin spreading across his face when he felt their kicks. “They’re active today,” he said, pressing his lips to Alec’s forehead when he placed his hands on his stomach next to his.

“Are you leaving so soon?” Dot asked, glaring at her traitorous mate and mother-in-law when they got up and shrugged their coats on, preparing to abandon her. Alec and Magnus were still insisting that they didn’t want to know the sex of the babies, giving them the perfect excuse to bail on her. 

“I’ve got to get back to the store, it won’t run itself,” David said, avoiding Dot’s eye as he prepared to run.

“Yes, and I have to meet with Jia, to go over wedding plans. So much to do with half of the clave and downworld attending” Izzy said quickly, thanking Lilith that Magnus and Alec had put them in charge of arranging the wedding.

Dot glared at them for a minute, seeing right through the bullshit they were dishing out before collaring her mate. She pulled David down into a kiss, moulding her lips to his in an indecent show that promised more later, both of them breathing hard when she invaded his mouth. She grinned when his arms came around her and he grabbed her ass before diving back in for more.

“Ahem” Izzy cleared her throat noisily, trying to get Dot and David’s attention. She shook her head when Magnus and Alec sat laughing at them as they practically groped each other, obviously not giving a fuck about who was watching them. At least they had cheered her brother up.

“No wonder you got your Alpha pregnant,” Alec said to David through his laughter, making Magnus laugh harder. They went at it any chance they got, sometimes forgetting there were other people in the room with them. He grinned at his nephew when they broke apart, Dot staring at him with unmistakable lust in her eyes, Davids eyes glowing a vivid blue, flashing intermittently. “Get out of here, I want to see my babies,” he said, smiling when Izzy practically had to drag David away from his mate. He was feeling much better.

“I’m not even sorry,” David said with a chuckle, trying to get his breath back as his mom pulled him to the door. “See you later babe,” he said over his shoulder with a wink for his mate, practically rubbing his hands together as he planned their night out in his head.

“Can’t say I am either,” Dot said, turning to Alec and Magnus to see them grinning at her. She smiled when she saw Alec grinning, much better, she thought. “Let’s get this show on the road. Lift your shirt up” she said as she grabbed the bottle of gel.

Alec pulled his shirt up, refusing to look at the trousers he was wearing, skinny jeans with a stretchy maternity panel sewn into the front of them. He shuddered as he pulled the waistband down, fucking elasticated trousers! He was in mourning for his wardrobe! His eyes snapped down when he felt the cold jelly on his skin.

“It’s been too long since I’ve seen my babies, I can't wait to see their hands and feet,” Magnus said as he took his mate’s hand, his eyes glowing as he stared at Alec’s bump. He was massive compared to David, not that he would ever say that. He smiled up at his mate, watching Alec stare at the screen before the image popped up on it, capturing his attention. He stared at the image, his brow furrowing. His gaze snapped to Alec’s seeing his confusion mirrored on his face as he stared at the image.

“I… I…what... when did that happen?” Dot stammered out as she stared at the screen, scratching her head as she gaped at the image of three babies on the screen.

“You said twins” was all Alec managed to get out, trying to wrap his head around the extra baby he saw on the screen, plain as day, even for someone as inexperienced as him to see. There was three of them. He looked down at Magnus, he was speechless. He pulled out the scan picture Dot had printed off for them and held it with numb fingers, staring at it, his eyes darting from the picture to the screen and back again in the total silence that had engulfed the room.

“Let me see that,” Dot said, holding her hand out for the picture. She took it from Alec’s limp fingers, holding it at eye level as she stared at it, trying to match up the image on the screen with the one on her hand. “I… I’m just going…” she stuttered, putting the scanner down and pulling her phone out, firing a quick text off.

Magnus ripped his eyes away from the screen to look up at Alec, his heart beating frantically in his chest, desperately hoping the machine wasn’t broken or something. Three! “Alexander, are you… okay?” he asked when he saw the shell-shocked look on his mate’s face. He stood up from his chair and sat on the edge of the bed, hooking a finger under Alec’s chin and bringing his face around to look him in the eye. “Are you okay? With this? talk to me, Alexander” he said, nodding his encouragement to his mate.

“Three” was Alec could say, still waiting for it to sink in. He looked up at Magnus, watching his Alpha stare at the screen, at their children, all three of them. He looked back at the screen. Two of them were curled around each other, the same as they were last time and another little jellybean was sitting right there next to them, kicking away for all it was worth. It looked smaller than the other two, not by much, but a little smaller. “Why is that one smaller?” he asked, his concern evident in his tone as it finally sank in. they were having three babies. He had thought he couldn’t possibly love them any more but the swelling of his heart proved him wrong as another child took its place there. His head shot up when the door opened and a pretty, curvy brunette walked in. 

“Dot? Magnus? Is everything okay? Hi, I’m Dr Claire Snowglade” she said, raising her hand to shake hands with a confused looking Alec, sitting on the bed. She gave Magnus a pointed stare when he started growling. “Quit it, Magnus, I’m not here to harm him. Is there a problem?” she asked.

“I think I’ve done this wrong,” Dot said, gesturing to the ultrasound machine. “There seems to be another baby in there,” she said, handing the 12-week scan photo over.

Claire looked down and inspected the picture before her eyes darted to the image frozen on the monitor. She took a seat on the bed, on the opposite side of Magnus and showed them the photo in her hand, pointing out what they had obviously missed. “You are having triplets, that is the third baby’s head, see the little nose? It was hiding behind its siblings. Don't worry, you aren’t the first couple this has happened to. Congratulations!” she said with a smile.

Alec gaped at the photo, the picture that they had spent hours staring at. What they had thought was one of the baby’s stomachs was actually another baby’s head. He laughed when she pointed out the baby's nose, it was obvious now when she pointed out what it was. He tilted the photo slightly with a shake of his head. “How did we miss this? Look it's a nose, Magnus. We kinda thought it was something else, we thought that one was a boy” he said with a flush. He looked at his mate and saw his own embarrassment plastered all over Magnus’ face.

“There are only two placenta’s though,” Dot said, thoroughly confused, how had she gotten it so wrong? “I think I should leave the scans to an actual doctor from now on. Sorry guys” she said, watching as Claire picked up the scanner and started tapping away on the keyboard.

“Your triplets are Dichorionic, two of the babies are sharing one placenta and the other one has it’s own,” Claire said to the happy but confused looking couple, smiling at Dot’s blush. “They all get their own umbilical cord but two of them are sharing one amniotic sac. While they are still triplets I’d say it’s likely you will have two identical twins, the third baby won't be identical to its siblings. Would you like to know what you are having?” she asked as she checked the sex, sizes and heart rates of each baby, smiling at the strong beats. Everything was pretty much normal.

“You can tell Dot, we want it to be a surprise, although, nothing is as big a surprise as this” Magnus said absentmindedly as he listened to the sound of his children's heart beats with a massive grin, Alec nodding his head emphatically. “Are they all healthy? Are they all okay in there? Why is the third one smaller?” he asked as worry settled over his chest, looking at his smaller jellybean.

“They are fine, the third baby is smaller but not worryingly so, it’s quite common with multiple pregnancies for one or even two of the babies to be a bit smaller,” Claire said, trying to reassure them when she saw Magnus’ concern etched onto Alec’s face. “These two little chunks are probably getting a little more of the nutrients from your mate’s food but you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure you eat a balanced diet, you could increase your food intake if you are worried” she said to Alec, patting his hand when he nodded.

“Not that I’m trying to be a bitch but how did you not know, Alec?” Dot asked, trying to hold back a laugh when he glared at her. He had been using his magic to listen to the babies heart beats for weeks now. “Didn’t you hear three heartbeats?” she asked.

“Did you not see three babies when you did the scan? You told us that head was one of the other babies stomachs!” Alec said pointedly, trying to cover his embarrassment by glaring at her. “I thought the three heartbeats were the two babies and mine,” he said with a sigh, elbowing Magnus when he started laughing. “It’s not funny, you said there were two of them, I heard three heartbeats, I only thought about the three of us” he said, trying not to let the corner of his lip tug up into the smile that was threatening to break out across his face when Dot and Magnus fell into fits of laughter, having to prop themselves up on each other. “If my sister asks, I knew about it all along,” he said with a sad shake of his head, imagining the disbelieving, incredulous look she would have plastered all over her face if she found out. He groaned when he thought of the superior attitude she would give him.

“We just won't tell her, let it be a surprise,” Magnus said with a sly glint in his eye. “She will kill us, for about 3 seconds, before the third little jellybean snags her attention. I can’t wait to see her face” he said, the three of them laughing hard.

“You are all cruel,” Claire said, hiding the smile that was tugging at her lips as she printed off a few photos for them. “I want you to come in for more checkups. Sorry Dot but I’m taking over from now on. There’s nothing to worry about, we just have to be more cautious with multiples” she said when she saw the worried looks on their faces. “You should know that with each child, the possibility of carrying them to term reduces. You could go as early as 33 weeks. We will keep monitoring you to keep an eye on the situation but they are healthy, they have strong heartbeats and are the right size for the stage of development they are at, everything looks good” she said with a smile.

“I want you to check my mate as well, he is having twins,” Dot said, worry niggling at her when Claire had said multiple births need extra care. How had she thought she was okay doing their scans?

“I’ll sort out a proper schedule for check-ups, for the three of you,” Claire said, giving Dot a pointed look. “We will need a proper team for the births too. If it was just one I could have managed it mostly with just an assistant. We will have to deliver by cesarian, I’m sorry if you were hoping for a natural birth but it will be too much stress on your body. The safest way for you and the babies is to deliver by c section” she said to Alec.

“I want Izzy and Cat, both of them are experienced,” Alec said instantly. He knew his sister would kill him if she was left out and she had almost 200 years of experience. Cat had even more, having taught Izzy everything she knew. He sighed with relief when Claire nodded her assent. “You and David should both have both of them there too, they are the best, no offence” he added to Claire, smiling when she took none.

“We should go if we only have 13 weeks, we need to get the nursery sorted. Again” Magnus said, shaking his head. After the engagement party, they had doubled everything in the nursery, his original intention when he had pulled Alec up to their room after the last scan. He stopped his wayward thoughts in their tracks as memories started to pop into his head, giving it a little shake and helping Alec off the bed.

“At least that explains why I am so big,” Alec said, rubbing his hands over his bump before his hands found their spot in his back, somewhere they were ending up more and more over the last couple of weeks. Magnus had had to give him more than a few back rubs over the last week, something he wasn’t complaining about. He gave Dot a wave, seeing her lying down on the bed while Claire picked up the jelly, giving her a proper check-up.

They made their way back through the institute, Magnus nodding to a few people, Alec glaring at the ones he was sure were staring at him. He opened a portal when they got outside and stepped through into the hallway of their cottage. He kicked his shoes off and pulled Magnus into the kitchen, flopping down on one of the padded barstools.

“Hungry, love?” Magnus asked with a chuckle when Alec used magic to massage his own feet, not being able to reach them properly with his hands. “What shall it be?” he asked when Alec nodded at him with his puppy dogs on full display.

“Steak please, lots of steak. I want some extra protein for our third jellybean” Alec said, rubbing his stomach at the thought of steak. “Can I have anchovies with it please?” he asked. He laughed when Magnus looked at him like he had just kicked a puppy, Magnus was a steak snob. “Can you believe they will outnumber us when they are born?” he said, watching his mate get the pans on the go. He clicked his fingers, producing the ingredients for a salad, the only thing Magnus would let him do in the kitchen.

“They already outnumber us. The new generation almost outnumbers the entire family” Magnus said with a laugh as he dropped the steaks in the pans, keeping his own well away from Alec’s. “There are going to be 6 of them. It will be Olivia and Lethabo’s turn next” he said, smiling when he thought about Dot and David’s babies being able to play with theirs.

“I think my niece wants to wait a few years before they start trying. She’s too much of a free spirit to be tied down” Alec said as he tossed the leaves into the bowl and started on the tomatoes. “I heard from Simon that Chris had another heat though and that it got cut short,” he said, grinning when Magnus’ head whipped around.

“That’s great news! Chris was so desperate to start a family, we will have to have them over for dinner one night” Magnus said, happy for his friend and his mate. “It won't be long,” he said with a laugh at the look on his mates face, Alec was practically drooling at the smell coming from the pans. He laughed harder when Alec clicked his fingers and produced a couple of plates before summoning some of the leftover jacket potatoes, from the previous night, from the refrigerator and arranged them on the plates with a pile of salad. He was always hungry!

“Maybe we could have a big dinner party, put that dining room to some use,” Alec said, absentmindedly chewing on a stick of cucumber. He started planning it out in his head, thinking of who to invite. “We can have everyone over. The family, Sebastian, Cat, Jia, Chris and Steve, Anna and Roger. Anyone else?” he wondered.

“Add Clary and Jace to the list, they haven't been to the house yet,” Magnus said as he slid the steaks out of the pans. “Add Ragnor too, it’s about time I patch things up with him, he was only doing his job,” he said.

“Fair enough,” Alec said, grinning when Magnus put his plate, loaded with food, down in front of him. He fell on it like a starving man at a banquet. “I suppose we can forgive him, only because you weren't harmed mind,” he said between bites.

“I think we are going to have to knock a couple of the guest rooms through to use as a nursery,” Magnus said thoughtfully as he chewed. It was already a bit of a squeeze in the current nursery with two of everything. “Maybe we could knock the blue room and the purple room into one big room, what do you think?” he asked

“Yeah, we can put a door in between the fireplace and bathroom in our room, to connect to the purple room,” Alec said, continuing to stuff his face. “We will have to keep them all away from the upstairs now, if any of them see three cribs they are gonna lose their shit,” he said with a grin, imagining the looks on their faces when a third baby popped out.

“Do you really think we can keep it from your sister?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow at the thought. If Izzy wanted to know something, she would find a way to get the answers she wanted, she had almost cracked Dot a few times.

“Probably not but it will be fun trying,” Alec said with a laugh. He put the last bite of steak in his mouth before getting rid of their dishes with a wave of his hand. “Do you want to come for a... lie down, I’m tired?” he asked with a wink, howling when Magnus’ head whipped around.

Magnus jumped up and scooped alec up in his arms, something that was getting harder to do, though he wouldn't say so, when he saw the silver glint in his mate’s eyes. He dashed back out into the hallway and made it up the stairs before Alec claimed his lips. He kicked their bedroom door open and had to stop himself from throwing Alec down on the bed. He smirked when his mate yawned. “You actually are tired, aren’t you?” he asked, laughing when Alec nodded sheepishly.

“I really did fancy a bit but I am shattered, do you mind if I get a couple of hours sleep? I think the babies are actually asleep, like all at the same time” Alec said, realising that they had stopped kicking hell out of his insides. He smiled when Magnus lay him down on the bed before climbing on and lying next to him, laying his head in his lap.

“Sleep, love. I’m going to talk to our jellybeans” Magnus said, lifting Alec’s shirt over his head and enclosing himself in with the babies. He sighed when Alec reached under the shirt and started running his fingers through his hair. He pressed three kisses to his mate’s skin before an old Indonesian nursery rhyme, his mom used to sing to him when he was a child, jumped into his head, the memory making him smile as he started singing it.

“Bintang Kecil  
Di langit yang tinggi  
Amat banyak  
Menghias angkasa  
Aku ingin  
Terbang dan menari  
Jauh tinggi  
Di tempat kau berada” 

“What is that?” Alec asked sleepily as he brushed his fingers through Magnus’ hair. It had sounded sweet, whatever it was.

“It’s a nursery rhyme, it is like an Indonesian version of twinkle twinkle,” Magnus said sadly. He hadn't thought about his parents for a long time but he was glad to have something to share with his children, even if it was just a song. “In English, it translates to

Little stars  
In the sky high above  
So many of you  
Decorating the sky  
I want to fly and dance far  
Far away to where you are”

“Did Cahya used to sing that to you?” Alec asked, hearing the sadness in his mate’s voice. He tugged Magnus’ hair, smiling when his head popped out from under his shirt. “Did she sing it to you, when you were little?” he asked.

“Yes, I haven't thought about that song for a long time,” Magnus said as he lay his head on Alec’s chest, snuggling into his side and inhaling his scent.

Alec rolled onto his side, cradling his mate to him and kissing his head. “Maybe if the babies are girls, we could name one of them Cahya, after your mom?” he suggested.

“It can be used for a girl or a boy, it’s unisex,” Magnus said gruffly, sinking further into his mate's chest. Alec wanting to name one of their kids after his mom had him welling up. “It means one who is the light in darkness,” he said.

“It is lovely,” Alec said, smiling when Magnus started singing the song again, stroking his fingers over his bump where he was practically wrapped around it, the sound of his mate’s soft voice sending him into a much needed deep sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little catch up with the crew before the big events kick off, enjoy xxx

10 weeks later… 

Magnus and Alec looked up when they heard noises coming from the hallway a split second before they heard Izzy and Simon bickering like a pair of five-year-olds. Magnus was about to leave the pans and go and see to them when Izzy came through the door, her arm linked with David, quickly followed by Simon with his arm linked through Dots.

“I swear, this dinner had better be worth getting dressed for,” Dot said with a scowl as she bulldozed her way into the kitchen and pulled a chair out for David, taking his hands and using her body as a counterweight for him to lower himself into a chair. "it smells amazing" she said, her bad mood disappearing and her eyes lighting up.

“Nice to see you too, Dorothea,” Magnus said drily as he returned to the pan he had been presiding over before they had arrived. “What are you two arguing about?” he asked Simon and Izzy as he started scooping the bechamel onto the lasagna's he was making.

“Baby names. They said we could name one of the babies” Simon said, scowling at his wife. “I wanted to name one of the girls Elaine, after my mom and she wanted to name her Maryse after her mom,” he said with a sigh, knowing his mate would win, she always won.

“Why don’t you name her Maryse-Elaine?” Alec asked at his usual place, cutting salad. He looked up when silence fell to find everyone looking at him. “Makes sense to me,” he said with a shrug, smiling at the thought of another Maryse in the family. “What are the other names you came up with?” he asked as he pushed the cucumber into the salad bowl.

“For the boy, we really liked Daniel” David said, snagging a handful of cherry tomatoes before Alec could pull them out of his reach, with a triumphant grin. “For the other girl's name, we loved Amara. We couldn’t agree on a third name so we stupidly said these two could pick a name and they’ve been fighting about it ever since” he said, rolling his eyes at his parents.

“They are worse than the clave,” Dot said, laughing at the expressions that fell across her in-law's faces. “You bicker like children, if it weren’t obvious how much you love each other, one would think you spend your lives fighting each other. But I do like Maryse-Elaine, it’s cute” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“I like it too,” Izzy said with a grin, laughing when Simon agreed with a roll of his eyes. “And when you two have been together for 100 years, you will bicker too. I do love him though” she said, pulling Simon in for a kiss. She ignored the sound David was making as she invaded his mouth, surrendering to him completely when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his body. 

“Are you two putting on a show?” Sebastian asked when he walked into the kitchen to find Izzy and Simon wrapped around each other, followed by Anna and Roger. “It’s been a while since I saw you in full swing, Izzy, let me get the popcorn,” he said with a grin, dodging back from the lazy elbow Izzy aimed at him as the room filled with laughter, he winked at David’s look of disgust.

“Anna! I’m so glad you came” Dot said, making to stand up to greet the newcomers before sinking back into her seat when they waved her back and come forward to give her a hug. “How are you? Both of you?” she asked as they exchanged hugs. She looked at Roger, was he smiling? They both looked so happy.

“We are doing great,” Anna said, taking the seat next to Dot and taking her hand. “We mated and I’ve acclimated quite well,” she said, smiling when one of her fangs didn’t automatically snap out, it had taken her a while to control it but it was getting easier. “You both look amazing, congratulations to you both,” she said, her eyes glowing as she took in their bumps, laughing when they simultaneously looked down at their growing belly’s and started to rub them, they were adorable!

“It suits you, you look amazing,” David said reaching his free hand over the table to shake their hands. “How are you really doing?” he asked, worried that she might be covering her true feelings up.

“I still have nightmares, but Roger is always there,” Anna said, smiling up at her mate and leaning into his touch when his hands came down on her shoulders. It was getting better, she thought less and less about her time at Wrangel island, choosing to focus on her new life and her mate, it still roared up at times, when she was least expecting it but she was doing her best to put it behind her and focus on the future. “I have too much to look forward to, to let my past get in my way. The decision to become a vampire was the easiest I've ever made, I didn't want to be a shadowhunter anymore, if I never have anything to do with the clave ever again I wouldn't be too upset” she said, raising Dot’s hand to her lips, trying to convey the thanks she felt with the kiss she placed there.

“I’m so happy for you, you are strong, stronger than your past” Dot said around the lump in her throat, giving Anna’s hand a squeeze. She cleared her throat, not wanting to ruin her reputation with a croaky voice. “How about you Roger? Are you happy?” she asked, which was a bit of a stupid question, the guy had a smile the size of the Brooklyn Bridge on his face.

“More than I thought possible,” Roger said, brushing his thumbs against the skin on the nape of his mate’s neck and smiling down at her when she tilted her head back to look up at him. He couldn’t help but lean down and press his lips to her forehead. “I was facing an impossible existence without my Anna, thank you, for helping me find her again,” he said earnestly as he smiled at Dot and David “thank you for bringing her back to me,” he said.

“Hey, no thanks required,” Dot said with a shake of her head. “Sebastian Verlac, you get away from that food, it’s for everyone, not just your greedy ass” she shouted at him when she saw the warlock sniffing around the dishes Magnus was creating.

“I didn’t touch it” Sebastian called back, trying to affect an air of innocence, he had only wanted a taste, it all smelled delicious. He smiled, whipping around when Cat’s voice reached him across the room.

“Didn’t touch it my ass” Cat said as she walked into the kitchen, towing Clary and Jace behind her. “keep him away from your stove Magnus, he is a serial minesweeper. If you cook it, he will try and pilfer it” she said, howling at the wounded expression on his face as everyone laughed at him, causing the baby in Jace’s arms to start crying.

“You had the baby!” Magnus said, coming forward to greet them, laughing at the goofy grins on their faces. “By the Angel! He is adorable” he said when Jace placed the baby in his arms. He smiled down at his bright red hair and mismatched eyes. They were more extreme that Jace’s heterochromia, he had one completely blue eye and one completely green one. He couldn't help himself from pushing his finger into the boy’s tiny little hand, grinning when his grip tightened on his finger for a moment.

“Not at 3 AM he isn’t,” Jace said with a groan as he dropped into the seat next to Alec. “he doesn't sleep, at all. I’ve never been so tired in my life. All he does is eat and poop, that’s it” he said as he slumped down onto the table, ignoring the way they all laughed at him.

“What did you call him?” Alec asked, his glamour falling away when Magnus put the boy in his arms. He laughed at his mates face when he rested the baby on his monumental bump, where else was he going to put him? He had no room!

“Nicholas Morgenstern-Wayland,” Jace said, grinning as he sat up and looked at his baby in Alec’s arms. He laughed when Alec’s nose turned up as he filled another diaper. He watched Clary come forward and claim Nicky, grabbing the changing bag and following Izzy out of the kitchen. Yes! He had dodged another diaper change. “How are the twins?” he asked, placing his hands on the warlocks massive stomach, and refraining from commenting on the size of his bump. He had been lucky, Nicky was small and his bump hadn’t been as big, anywhere near the size of Alec’s. 

“The… twins are fine” Alec said, trying to hide his smirk when he glanced at his mate, seeing the ghost of a smile playing at the corner of Magnus’ lips. “They never sleep either, I’m running on energy potions at the minute,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “Sebastian, seriously, don’t make me banish you to the spiral labyrinth, with no dinner,” he said when he caught sight of his friend sniffing around the food again out the corner of his eye.

“When can we eat? I’m starving” Sebastian whined, grabbing a handful of garlic bread before Simon could stop him, dodging away from the vampire who had taken it upon himself to set it on a serving plate. “This is good, but I’m wasting away,” he said around a huge mouthful of the tasty bread.

“We’re just waiting for Olivia and Lethabo, they've been in South Africa for a few days. And Jia and Ragnor and Chris and Steven” Alec said, checking the time on the kitchen clock. “They should all be here any min…” he cut off with a gasp when he felt a small cramp in his back, rubbing it furiously. “I’m fine, it's just a cramp,” he said when Magnus was in front of him in three seconds flat.

“Are you okay? Is it the babies?” Magnus asked, his heart pounding from the sound Alec had made. He moved around behind Alec and rubbed at the muscles in his back when he leaned forward as much as his stomach allowed him too. 

“I need to stand up, this chair is wrecking my back,” Alec said with a deep sigh, Magnus’ hands were like magic. “Help me up please,” he asked, groaning when Magnus pulled him up out of the chair. “What? Stop staring” he snarled at the room when they all stared at his bump. He had been spending more time at home recently, only leaving for his council duties, and hadn’t seen much of his friends, too busy getting the cottage ready for the babies arrival.

“We aren’t staring,” Izzy said, her eyes glued to her brother's stomach when she and clary walked back into the kitchen to find everyone staring at Alec. She averted her eyes when he started glaring at them all. Lillith! What was he growing in there? He looked more like he was 40 weeks rather than 30. She smiled when she looked over her shoulder and saw Olivia and Lethabo stepping out of a portal in the hallway, hand in hand.

“Hey, mom, who’s is the baby?” Olivia asked, pressing a kiss to her mom’s cheek and cooing down at the cute baby she was holding. “Lethabo, isn’t he sweet?” she asked with a grin when she saw his hands twitching. “Get the parents permission first, darling,” she said with a laugh, reading him like a book.

“The parent’s permission for what?” Jace asked, darting forward and almost snatching his son from Izzy’s arms when he saw the warlock’s hands twitching near him. “No, to whatever it is,” he said with a glare, holding Nicholas to him while Clary took up a fighting stance in front of them.

“I meant no harm. My name is Lethabo” Lethabo said, raising his hand to shake hands with the shadowhunters. “I was merely going to cast spells of protection and luck over him, it is a custom to bestow blessings on the babies born in our village,” he said earnestly.

“They are spells for protection, health and prosperity,” Olivia said, reassuring the couple that her mate meant no harm. “He would never harm your baby,” she said.

“We have already asked him to bless Daniel, Amara and Maryse,” David said as Jace and Clary exchanged looks. “I want my children to have every chance and blessing possible,” he said, taking Dot’s hand and smiling at her when she agreed.

“Will it hurt him?” Clary asked, raising her eyebrows when all the warlocks in the room started laughing. “You can all laugh, just wait until it’s your children the big scary warlock is hovering over,” she said, glaring at them all.

“He’s only big and scary because you are such a short stack, biscuit,” Magnus said with a laugh as he eyed the almost foot and a half height difference between Clary and Lethabo, he had to admit, Lethabo was huge. “He is probably one of the gentlest giants I’ve ever met though, he will be blessing our babies. You have nothing to worry about” he said, smiling when Jace handed Nicky over to Lethabo after a silent discussion with Clary. The sight of the tiny boy in Lethabo’s big shovel hands was almost comical.

Clary almost had a heart attack when she saw her son in the giant hands of the warlock but forced herself to stand still as she watched Lethabo hold him to his chest and place his hand on Nicky’s head with his eyes closed, his lips moving in a silent mutter.

It went against every one of Jace’s instincts to stand and watch the warlock cast spells on his child but he held himself in check by clinging to his mate. He watched as a soft golden glow wrapped around Nicky, his mouth gaping open when his son blinked up at the warlock before unceremoniously falling asleep. Their child was a week old, he was pretty sure in that week, Nicky had slept a grand total of about 20 hours.

“How did you do that?” Clary asked when Lethabo opened his eyes with a smile and handed her boy back to her. “I love him with my whole heart but he never sleeps,” she said, her eyes glowing when she and Jace looked down at their sleeping son. She was tempted to ask Alec and Magnus if they had a spare room so she and Jace could get their heads down for a few hours. She gave Alec a grateful smile when he clicked his fingers and a basinet appeared next to her, daring to lay Nicky down in it, he didn’t even flinch. “Maybe you could come and stay at the LA Institute for a couple of years?” she half-joked half-asked, shaking her head when the kitchen filled with quiet laughter.

“By the angel, it’s morbidly quiet in here,” Ragnor said when Jia led him into the large kitchen of the house her warlock had sent them to. He raised his hands “I brought plenty of wine, as a peace offering” he said, holding up the 6 bottles he had in a death grip in his hands, frowning when they all shushed him. That was when he noticed the baby. “Ahh we can wet the baby’s head,” he said, delighted to have a proper excuse to drink.

“By the angel! I haven't had a drink for nine months” Jace said, staring at the bottles with longing. “Good to see you again, Ragnor. Velaria sends her love” Jace said, grinning at the grimace on his friends face when Clary, Jia and Magnus laughed.

“Who is Valeria? And why does he look like he never wants to hear the name again?” Alec asked when Magnus stepped forward and took the bottles of wine in hand, awkwardly shaking hands with Ragnor in the process. 

“Valeria is a shadowhunter from LA” Magnus began, grinning at the miserable look on Ragnor’s face as he slumped into a chair at the table and hid his face in his hands, much to everyone else's amusement. “She and Ragnor used to have an… arrangement until she found out he was also sleeping with a vampire, Camille. She told Camille’s mate, a werewolf called Russel, out of spite. The wolf tried to rip him to shreds when Ragnor tried to suggest they make it a threesome. Ragnor is not welcome in LA anymore” he said with a laugh.

“Gross, please tell me you didn’t have sex with Camille Belcourt?” Steven asked from the doorway, laughing when all heads whipped around to look at him as he escorted Chris into the kitchen and started shaking hands with everyone there. “You might want to give your parts a good scrub, for a mated woman, she sure does get around,” he said, laughing at the shadowhunters groan when they all started laughing at him.

“Oh, piss off, the lot of you. It’s too hot in LA anyway, I much preferred England,” Ragnor said with a scowl, only making them laugh harder. He grabbed the glass Magnus handed him gratefully and sat sulking in his chair.

“Now that everyone is here, can we please eat?” Sebastian groaned as he helped pour glasses of wine and hand them out. “I would eat an old leather shoe right now and that lasagne smells so good,” he said, pouring a glass of merlot for himself.

“Come on then,” Alec said, smiling gratefully at his mate when Magnus half carried him out of the kitchen, the two of them leading everyone into the dining room. He sighed with relief when Magnus lowered him into one of the comfortable, navy blue velvet upholstered dining chairs. He clicked his fingers, producing an extra cushion and tried to wrestle it behind his back when Magnus took it from him with a laugh and put it behind his back. “Thank you, my love,” he said, pouting his lips for a kiss.

“You’re welcome,” Magnus said, giving his mate a chaste peck on the lips and a wink that promised more when everyone had gone home. He grabbed a bottle of wine and one filled with blood, making his way around the table as they all took their seats, a grin spreading over his face when Chris put his hand over the top of his wine glass with a self-satisfied smirk on his face before moving on.

Alec waved his hand over the table, summoning all the food that Magnus had spent the day preparing, much to everyone's delight and smiled as he watched them all start to dig in, magically wrestling Sebastian for a pan of lasagne when his friend tried to take the entire thing, he wanted to get himself and his mate some before the greedy bastard ate it all. He laughed when the dish disappeared from Sebastian's hands with a click of his fingers and Magnus snarled at him when he tried to get it back.

“My mate is eating for… three, if he want’s the lasagne, you had better give it to him, Sebastian” Magnus snarled, taking the dish and serving a huge portion onto Alec’s plate before scooping the rest out onto his own plate.

“Hey, I wanted some of that, I’ve waited ages,” Sebastian said, staring at the empty dish Alec sent away with another wave of his hand.

“Luckily, he made more than one,” Cat said with a laugh as she set a plate of food down in front of Sebastian, the whole room erupting with laughter when he set up a protection spell around his plate and started wolfing it down. “Don’t cry when you burn your tongue,” she said, a split second before he made a grab for her water glass.

“This is actually nice” Alec whispered to Magnus when he took a seat next to him. He had been dreading holding dinner parties for the clave and downworld but he was glad they had all come. It was nice, watching them all holding their own individual conversations as they laughed and shared bottles of wine, none of them distinguishing between who was a downworlder and who was a shadowhunter. He knew it would be different when it was an official dinner party, with representatives rather than friends but this was a good practice run.

“Yeah, it is, it’s nice just to see everyone smiling,” Magnus said, smiling at the way Clary and Jace were taking selfies with Nicky still asleep in the bassinet between them, giving him an idea. He waited until everyone had finished eating and were getting ready to move into the living room. “Hey, Clary? Can you take some more photos?” he asked with a grin.

“Sure, I love a good selfie,” she said, making her way over to him. She laughed when he whispered in her ear before dragging Dot, David and Chris forward and lining them up by bump size, Alec scowling when she put him at the end. “Smile, Alec, the babies will see this one day,” she said with a laugh.

“Not funny, Morgenstern” Alec muttered while everyone else hid their laughter behind their hands. He cursed his facial muscles when his face tugged up into an involuntary smile. His patience, and ankles lasted long enough for her to get a couple of shots before he gave up on the whole idea and led them through to the tv room, deciding they deserved a night of crappy movies and laughter


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!!!!!!!

4 weeks later…

Magnus helped Alec up from his seat, his worry clear on his face at the wince on his mates face. “Please Alexander, you don’t have to do this, we can postpone it,” he said, pleading with him, again. “Just until you are feeling better,” he said.

“Magnus, I’m not ill, it’s just a twinge, honestly I’m fine,” Alec said, leaning heavily on his desk as he tried to hide his breathlessness. “Besides, Claire and Justine deserve this, what she did was wrong. We can’t just pick and choose when we try a case. We have to be fair, the shadow world won't trust us if we can’t guarantee their safety” he said, straightening up when the tightness in his stomach passed and he was able to breathe easier.

“At the expense of your health?” Magnus asked incredulously, starting to pace beside Alec’s desk. He had been trying to reason with him since the previous day. “Just get checked over first, please, then we can continue if you feel better” he tried to reason.

“We are already here, Claire and Justine are here and Irene is already locked up in the cells,” Alec said as he shuffled from behind his desk and across his office towards the door. “Plus, Jia already brought the sword. This will take an hour at the most, then I promise, we can go home and I’ll put my feet up. Stop worrying, it’ll be over before we know it” he said, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the door handle as his stomach went tight again. He held back a grunt, knowing that Magnus would put his foot down if he heard it.

Magnus slammed his eyes closed for a moment, praying to the angel to give him the strength to deal with the Lightwood stubbornness. He walked forward with a sigh and linked his arm through Alec’s, opening the door and helping him through it. “The first sign of trouble and we are out of there. I mean it, Alexander, one twitch and I don’t care how far we are into hearing this case, I will carry you out over my shoulder if I have to” he said, his tone brooking no arguments. He sighed with relief when Alec just nodded, letting his mate lean on him as they made their way down the hallway.

“Clair, Justine, how are you both?” Magnus asked when they turned the corner to find their doctor and her mate pacing anxiously in the hallway outside the meeting room. The question was probably a stupid one, they both looked angry and tired. 

“We just want this to be over,” Justine said, with a tight smile, clutching Claire’s hand. “Look, I don’t want to be rude but how do we know that you will be fair? She is a shadowhunter after all” she asked Magnus, trying not to let an apology ring in her voice, she was sure Magnus was a fair guy but Shadowhunters had always stuck together in the past. She was learning from her mate but still…

“For a start, we all signed those accords, she will be treat no differently than anyone else brought before us,” Magnus said. “Secondly, she can not hide her guilt once she takes the sword in hand, that is its power. If you are worried just remember, the council must vote with a majority of three” he said, trying to reassure the werewolf. “We should get started,” he said when the couple just nodded.

Alec gave Claire’s hand a squeeze before he and Magnus lead them into the meeting room, letting them take a seat at the side of the room. He tried not to wince and keep his breathing regular when he felt another twinge in his stomach, already dreaming of getting into bed when they were finished, maybe a lie down would help? He wondered as he took his seat next to Magnus at the long table facing the door. He nodded to Maia, already seated on Magnus’ other side and Meliorn sitting next to her. Before slumping down into his chair.

Magnus sat in the middle seat. It was his job to preside over the case, as it was a shadowhunter that was being brought before them. He sat picking at the hem of his t-shirt, darting glances at Alec every time his breathing picked up or he squirmed in his chair. He had been getting ‘cramps’ and ‘twinges’ since the day before. Dot had reported a shadowhunter attacking a werewolf two weeks ago. Alec had insisted yesterday and today that he was well enough to hear the case, especially because the shadowhunter was Claire’s mother. He looked up when the door opened and Raphael escorted a woman into the room.

Alec watched as Raphael led Irene Snowglade to a chair before them and pushed her down into it when she refused to take the seat. He took her appearance in. she had been tall while standing up. She had the same brown hair and features as Claire, but an older version, grey peppering her hair and a few wrinkles here and there. If she didn’t have a furious scowl on her face, he would have thought she was harmless. Looks could be deceiving though.

“Irene Snowglade, you stand accused of the attempted murder of Justine Theroux, the mate of your daughter, how do you plead?” Magnus asked, wasting no time in getting to the heart of the matter when Raphael took his seat next to Alec.

“Not guilty,” Irene said, refusing to say anything else, choosing instead to glare at them all. It was a travesty that she was even here.

“Claire Snowglade and Justine Theroux have both given evidence against you under use of the mortal sword,” Maia said, riffling through the notes in front of her. “They claim that you entered Justine’s residence in the middle of the night and attempted to behead her with a seraph blade, stopping only when your daughter fought you off, at risk to her own life, to protect that of her mate,” she said incredulously. They had both agreed to testify under use of the sword, it’s power showing their testimony to be the truth.

“My daughter has worked too hard to attain the position she has, being mated to that will destroy her reputation, I was trying to help her,” Irene said, refusing to look at her daughter or the animal she had mated herself to. “She is a doctor, the respect she has earned will be thrown out of the window if she continues this charade. There is still time to put an end to it,” she said.

“You talk about your daughters mate as though she is unworthy of her, she is her mate” Meliorn said, staring at the woman sat before them, at the look of contempt that she had plastered all over her face.

“She is a downworlder, an animal,” Irene said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever your personal views of the woman are, they are mated,” Magnus said, silently wondering how a mother could attempt to kill her own child’s mate, no matter what race they were from. The thought of harming one of his children's mates when they eventually brought them home turned his stomach. “The law clearly states that a shadowhunter or downworlder may take their mate…”

“That law should never have been passed” Irene hissed, glaring at Magnus. He was a shadowhunter! He should be putting an end to this ridiculous farce. “The old law should never have been revoked, shadowhunters and downworlders mixing, it’s unnatural. Raziel is weeping for us all. Imagine the abomination that union would create” she screamed, pointing in her daughter's direction but staring at the warlocks stomach. A mixture of shadowhunter and warlock, it wasn’t right.

“I suggest if you want to keep your eyeballs you keep them to yourself” Magnus snarled at Irene when he saw her staring at his mate’s bump with a look of revulsion on her face, ignoring the looks his fellow council members were aiming at him as he tried to calm down. “Did you or did you not go to Justine Theroux’ place of residence with the intention of killing her?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair to capture her attention.

“I told her! I told her when she brought that woman to meet me to end it but she wouldn’t listen. Thank the angel your father didn’t live long enough to see the shame you have brought on this family” Irene screamed at her daughter.

“You do not get to pick and choose your mate,” Alec said incredulously, gritting his teeth as another twinge skittered across his stomach. He took a deep breath as it continued, lasting longer than the others. He shook his head at Magnus when his head whipped around at the sound of his sharp inhalation before it passed. “Mrs Snowglade, did you go to Justine Theroux’ residence with the intention to kill her? Answer the question” he said.

“Alexander…” Magnus started before Alec shook his head again. He stared at the light sheen of sweat that had sprung up on Alec’s forehead, something wasn't right. “Alexander, please, you aren’t well” he whispered to his mate.

“I’m fine,” Alec said, giving Magnus’ hand a squeeze under the table where it had come to rest on his thigh. He waved his hand, the mortal sword appearing on it’s stand before Irene when she refused to answer his question. “Place your hands on the sword,” he said.

Irene glared at the warlock. Who was he to order her? Nothing but a downworlder. She shrieked when she felt her body rise up from the chair and her hands raise of their own volition. “What are you doing, unhand me now. How dare you use your magic on me?” she screamed as her hands landed on the sword, pinned in place. As hard as she struggled, she couldn't get free. She glared at the warlock, breathing hard as she continued to struggle.

“Did you intend to kill Justine Theroux, with full knowledge of the law, when you went to her home?” Maia asked, placing her hand on Magnus’ arm when he snarled at the shrieking woman.

“Yes, they should have never mated” Irene hissed out through gritted teeth.

“Were you fully aware of the consequences of your actions?” Raphael asked in a drawl, already bored of the proceedings.

“Yes, your council has made them abundantly clear” Irene ground out, the sword forcing the answer from her lips.

“Did you continue to fight Justine and your daughter when she tried to stop you, causing injury to Claire?” Magnus asked.

“She doesn't deserve my daughter” Irene muttered before the sword once again forced her to answer “yes, I did and I would do it again, to save my daughter” she growled, sinking back into her seat when the magic that held her pinned to the sword released her.

Alec waved his hand, creating a barrier around himself and his fellow council members, blocking out any sound from Irene, Claire and Justine. He could see the conflict on Claire’s face, she wanted to protect and defend her mate but it was also her mother sitting in the chair, awaiting sentence. “Suggestions?” was all he said, unsure of what to do.

“The law clearly states that a shadowhunter may take a mate from the downworld and that no shadowhunter is to harm a downworlder,” Meliorn said, the answer being obvious to him. “She tried to kill her, an eye for an eye, I say,” he said.

“She is still the woman’s mother. Are we going to sentence her to death in front of her?” Alec asked through shallow breaths, unable to stop his hand moving to his stomach as a sharp pain ripped across it. “I’m fine, Magnus” he gritted out, wanting to get the trial over and done with.

“She still tried to murder her and quite frankly, her attitude is disgusting, she has already admitted she would do it again” Maia said, watching Alec. “are you okay?” she asked him, alarmed at the sight of him clutching his stomach, he looked as though he was about to pop any minute.

“I suggest detaining her in the silent city,” Alec said, ignoring her question and the uncomfortable looks the rest of them were aiming at him. He looked at Magnus, squeezing his hand again at the worried look he was giving him. “It is a fair punishment, she may have tried to kill her but she is still Claire’s mother, taking her position and freedom away is fair, she can’t be allowed to try it again,” he said.

“I think Claire and Justine have something to say,” Raphael said, watching the couple whispering at the side of the room. “Maybe we should hear what they have to say?” he asked, nodding when the rest of them agreed and Alec dropped the barrier around them. “You have something to add?” he asked curiously.

“We would ask you not to kill her,” Justine said, holding Claire’s hand tightly. As much as she wanted Irene to be punished, and as angry as her mate was at her mother, she couldn't watch her go through that. Irene had loved and raised her. “Claire’s father died a few months ago, we believe the stress and loss of her mate were affecting her…” 

“Don’t you talk of my mate, I don't need you to speak for me.” Irene screamed, losing the last of her self-control “You take my daughter, mate with her and speak of her father with your unworthy lips…” she screamed. She jumped up from her chair and grabbed the mortal sword from the stand in front of her, hurling it like a javelin as hard as she could at the woman that had mated her daughter before anyone could anticipate her actions.

Raphael was in front of Irene before anyone could register his movements. He grabbed hold of her, pinning her arms to her body as she continued to scream but not before she had thrown the sword. His head whipped around at the scream from behind him as the scent of blood reached him, the sound of the scream cutting through the uproar in the room as the rest of them darted forward.

“CLAIRE!” Justine screamed when her mate collapsed into her, having thrown herself in front of her when her mom had thrown the sword. “No no no no, somebody, help me” she screamed, clutching her mate as they collapsed to the floor, blood fountaining from her arm. She fought down her fear and pain and worry as best she could, praying that the change wouldn't take over her, Claire needed her. Claire blinking up at her, taking shallow breaths but making no sound had her world ending as she stared into her eyes. She looked up when Magnus fell to the floor next to them.

“Claire, where are you hurt? CLAIRE look at me, where are you hurt?” Magnus asked, his eyes darting up at the sword that had embedded itself in the wall behind the couple before darting back down to the blood that was seeping into the sleeve of her jacket. He grabbed her arm, causing her to shriek as he clamped down on it, putting as much pressure on the wound as possible. “Alexander, help me” he called over his shoulder, realising with a start that Alec was shuffling towards him.

Alec clicked his fingers when Magnus removed his hand, removing Claire’s jacket to reveal a deep, jagged gash in her arm, the cut running right down to the bone. The sight of the ragged, torn muscles, exposed bone and fountain of blood almost turned his stomach but he pushed it down. He watched as Magnus clamped down on it again with one hand and pulled his stele out with the other and activated a rune on the inside of her forearm. The wound started repairing itself but it was too slow. He lowered himself to the floor as the blood continued to seep through Magnus’ fingers, from the wound, Claire’s complexion getting whiter and whiter by the second. He knocked his mates hand out of the way and placed his hand over the wound, ignoring the blood as he poured his magic into her, helping to seal off the blood vessels and veins that had been ripped open and knit the muscle and skin back together as best as he could, he was no expert at healing magic but he knew enough.

“Raphael, go” Maia commanded as she wrestled the screaming shadowhunter from his arms, getting the struggling woman in a headlock as Meliorn shoved Raphael from the room. “See what you have done? your hatred might be the death of your daughter” she snarled, forcing Irene to watch as Alec and Magnus healed Claire. She almost dropped the woman when she went limp in her arms. “That’s a downworlder saving your daughter's life, the life you almost took, was it worth it?” she asked, shoving the woman down into her chair and watching as Meliorn returned and cuffed the shadowhunter to her seat.

“Is she… is she going…” Justine asked, fighting to fill her constricting lungs with air. She stared at the healing gash on her mate's arm, saw it repairing itself in front of her eyes. She cupped her face, ignoring the blood as Claire brought her uninjured hand up and clutched hers, her grip surprisingly strong.

“Pass me my stele” Claire gasped, looking up at her mate and squeezing her hand tighter when she looked down at her in confusion. She slammed her eyes closed at the pain, feeling Justine’s hand release her face and start digging in her pocket before opening them when she had pressed the stele into her hand. She pulled her top up with shaking fingers, smiling gratefully at Magnus when he helped her before setting her stele against her skin, her hand shaking as she started to carve a rune in by memory. “This will help to replenish the blood I’ve lost,” she said, sighing with relief when the pain started to fade where Alec was healing it. She felt a dizzy rush come over her when the rune she had carved started to force her red blood cells into reproducing rapidly. “Are you okay?” she asked, concerned when she took Alec’s appearance in. She watched as he clutched his abdomen, rocking on his knees and gasping for breath.

“Alexander?” Magnus asked, letting go of Claire’s top and grabbing Alec when he screwed his eyes up and let out a grunt of pain. “I told you, I told you that you were too ill to do this,” he said, his hand fluttering uselessly over his mate.

Alec waited a moment to answer, riding the wave of pain radiating from his stomach, the tightness of it stealing his breath. “I’m okay, I just need…”

“You just need to take it easy” Magnus interjected, his concern for Alec pushing his tone deeper than he had intended it to be. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Alexander. You keep saying you’re fine but you keep getting more and more of these cramps, please get checked over. Please?” he pleaded, cursing his mate's stubborn insistence that he was fine.

“When did they start and how often are you getting these cramps?” Claire asked, squeezing Justine’s hand when she helped her sit up. 

“They started yesterday, after breakfast. I don’t know how often, like every 5 or 10 minutes” Alec said, rubbing his hand over his stomach “that one really hurt though, they have been getting stronger all day, but that one really hurt” he said, refusing to look at Magnus when a frustrated growl came from his mate and he clutched him tighter.

“Alec! You aren’t having cramps, you’re having contractions. You’re in labour” Claire said with a laugh. Cramps! “You two are the least prepared parents I’ve ever dealt with. Help me up” she said, shaking her head at the stupefied looks on their faces.

“But it’s too early, I’m only 34 weeks,” Alec said, panicking that his babies weren’t fully cooked. “What if they aren’t big enough, I have to keep them in, they haven’t had enough time,” he said, grabbing Magnus’ hand and staring up at him.

“And how do you intend to keep them in?” Claire asked with a laugh. “Justine, I’m fine, look, it’s healed. Help me up” she said, smiling when her mate helped her stand up, fighting through the rush of dizziness that rushed through her again and taking a deep breathe when it passed. “Magnus, snap out of it, your mate needs your head in the game,” she said, clicking her fingers in front of Magnus’ glazed over looking face, the guy looked like he had checked out.

“Magnus, I can’t let them out yet, they aren’t big enough,” Alec said, clinging to Magnus when he looked down at him. “They are too small, they’re just little jellybeans. Please” he begged, his panic rushing over him, they weren’t ready.

“Alexander, I don’t think it works like that” Magnus whispered, staring down into Alec’s panic-stricken eyes. His glamour had fallen away revealing dark grey thunderclouds in his eyes. The sight of it pushed his own worry down for a moment, his panic taking a back seat to his mates fear. “Come on, we need to get to the institute. It will be okay, love” he said, pressing his lips to Alec’s forehead.

“How can you say that? They need another 6 weeks” Alec said, letting his tears fall as he clutched his stomach. “You can’t say it will be okay, you don’t know” he sobbed, trying desperately to think of a way to stop his labour.

“Alec, it is a little early but the babies are strong, they had healthy heartbeats at the last scan, they are little fighters, like their dad’s,” Claire said with a nod of her head as he stared up at her. “Come on, we won’t let anything happen to them. We can’t stop it, they are ready to meet you. We need to get to the institute, I have everything we need there” she said. She and Justine reached down and pulled him up to his feet.

“I’m happy for you, that you are having your children but what about her?” Maia asked, gesturing to a silent Irene who was staring at her daughter who refused to look at her as she hooked an arm under Alec’s armpit to help him along. “We still need to sentence her,” she said delicately as Alec sagged a little in Magnus’ and Claire’s arms with a grimace.

“Fuck!” Alec muttered, needing to stop as another pain ripped through him. He took deep breaths, unable to hold back the groan that ripped out of him. “I vote to de-rune her. Take her runes, she has proved she is a danger to everyone around her” he said when the pain receded, glaring at the woman who had almost taken Claire’s life.

“I vote to de-rune her too,” Magnus said, looking Irene in the eye. It wasn’t a punishment that he particularly liked handing out but the woman was a menace. She would be less of a danger and she deserved it after what she had done. He ignored her shrieks to address Maia and Meliorn. “You have our votes, it is up to the three of you to cast yours, you know the consequences of de-runing, if another one of you vote for it, send Jia a fire message with your ruling, she will perform it. We have to go” he said, turning his back on Irene. He had explained what happened to a shadowhunter when their runes were taken, explaining the seriousness of the punishment when they had all scoffed at his suggestion of using it as a punishment in a similar case when they had first started trying people that had broken the laws.

“Alec, create a portal,” Claire said, ignoring her mom’s shrieks. She gave Justine a tight smile when she felt her hand on her shoulder. She had hated her mom for what she had done when she broke into her mates house and woke them in the middle of the night, trying to kill her but she had still loved her, she had had a great childhood with two loving parents. But that had been ripped away the second she had aimed the sword at her mate. She felt no pity for her mom, she wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else if her runes were taken from her.

“Someone needs to send Cat and Izzy a fire message, I need them” Alec muttered, waving his shaking arm and creating a portal for them. They stumbled through it, Claire and Magnus half carrying him, to arrive outside the institute. “I just need a minute, just give me a minute” he muttered, sinking to the ground as another contraction stole the strength from his legs. He ignored the stares of the passing mundanes as he screamed his way through it, not caring if they were wondering where the disembodied noise was coming from, unable to see through the glamour surrounding the institute.

Magnus pulled his stele out again and activated his strength rune before scooping Alec up into his arms, his mate used to be a lot lighter. “I’ve got you, love” he whispered as he carried him through the door that Claire held open for them, trying not to flinch with every cry and groan his mate let out. He walked as quickly as he could through the Op’s centre glaring at everyone that stopped what they were doing to stare at them. “Get back to work,” he said, daring any of them to approach them with a glare at them all.

“They are getting stronger and closer together” Alec muttered through gritted teeth as he clung to Magnus’ neck and buried his head in the crook of his mate's neck, trying to use his scent to calm himself as the panic in his chest built. He had spent so many years waiting for a family to come along and now that he was faced with their imminent arrival he wondered if he could do it. He had always hoped he would be a good dad, but what if he wasn’t? “I can’t do this, Magnus, what if I’m no good at this? What if I’m a terrible father and I let them down? I didn’t even know I was in labour. I’m going to fail, I won’t….”

“Hey, enough of that, you are going to be an amazing dad,” Magnus said, clutching his mate tighter to him and pressing his lips to Alec’s shoulder, unable to reach his face where it was buried in his neck. “Our jellybeans are lucky to have such an amazing, wonderful, beautiful man for a father, they will love you, plus you are too stubborn to fail” he whispered with a grin, chuckling when Alec huffed into his neck. He carried Alec into the infirmary, nodding his thanks at Claire and Justine when they held the double doors open for him and lay his mate down in the bed Claire gestured to.

“Cat and Izzy?” Alec asked, gripping onto Magnus just a moment longer, needing his calming, grounding presence as another contraction overtook him. “Lillith! Fuck fuck fuck” he chanted as the pain stole the breath from his lungs.

“I sent them both a fire message to meet us here,” Claire said, watching Magnus wipe a tear from alec’s eyes when they started watering. She looked up when the door burst open to see Dot dashing in, breathing hard. “Will you be okay for a minute if I go and get changed?” she asked, pulling Justine after her when they nodded. She shook her head at Dot when she looked at her enquiringly at the blood that she was covered in, deciding to give her a full report later.

“It’s true! You’re in labour!” Dot said a little redundantly as she took Alec’s appearance in, he looked a mess. She had been sorting through paperwork in her office when she had heard the commotion, coming out of her office to find them all gossiping. She stared at Alec, sweaty and moaning and gripping Magnus in a death grip. Fuck! It looked painful. All she could do was stare with wide eyes, knowing that she would be going through that herself in 11 weeks time. The thought had her clutching her stomach, wondering if her mate knew a spell to turn back time and put it off.

“Just breathe, love” Magnus whispered, rubbing circles into Alec’s back, wishing he could take the pain into himself, he felt useless. “You’re doing great, just breathe,” he said.

“I’m breathing, Magnus!” Alec muttered as the pain passed, leaving him gasping for air. “It’s not so easy when it feels like you’re getting sawn in half,” he said, wriggling around, trying to find a comfortable position to sit in when he was supremely uncomfortable. “Sorry, it’s just, it fucking hurts,” he said, squeezing his mate’s hand when he saw the understanding in his eyes. He burst into tears of relief when the door burst open again and his sister bulldozed into the room, her eyes blazing bright orange, followed by Simon.

“Oh, Alec, are you okay?” Izzy asked when she saw her brother crying. She dashed forward and wrapped her arms around him. She had never seen him cry so much before he got pregnant, well, before he met Magnus really. He was usually the strong one while she was the emotional one but right then, he needed her. “Don’t cry, you’re going to do fine. It won’t be long before you are holding them in your arms” she said, stroking her fingers through his hair as he clung to her.

“Congratulations man, I can’t believe it’s time already,” Simon said, slapping Magnus on the back with a grin. “Don’t worry, Cat and Izzy will do a great job, Claire too I’m sure. Cat delivered ours and Izzy has done this hundred's of times, he will be fine” he said when he saw the worry in Magnus’ eyes.

“He’s in so much pain,” Magnus said, snagging his sister-in-law’s attention. He watched as she lay Alec back on the bed and placed her hands on his chest, closing her eyes and starting to mutter under her breath. “What’s she doing?” he asked when Alec was engulfed in a soothing blue light as her magic poured into him.

“She’s giving him some pain relief, he will be numb from the chest down. Like I said, she knows what she’s doing” Simon said, watching his wife with pride. “I’ll have to leave in a minute, I can’t be here when they open him up,” he said apologetically.

“Thank you,” Alec said, his eyes closing with relief when his body went numb, finally able to breathe without the almost constant pain coursing through his stomach. “I feel like I can breathe again, where’s Cat?” he asked. 

“I’m here, son,” Cat said when she stepped into the room and heard Alec’s question. Her glamour fell away when she saw his tear stained face poking out from under the sheet Izzy was placing over his body. She shook her coat off and clicked her fingers, dressing everyone in the room in a pair of scrubs and alec in a proper hospital gown. “Have you sterilised the room yet?” she asked Izzy, smiling at the way she had switched to professional mode. She knew there would be no squealing from Isabelle from this point forward.

“No, can you do that?” Izzy asked as she started scrubbing her hands down at the sink in the corner and clicked her fingers, gloves appearing on her hands in an instant. She kicked a stool in his direction when she saw Magnus standing next to the bed, wringing his hands with a lost expression on his face as he stared around. His confident facade had disappeared, now he just looked scared. “The three of them will be fine, Magnus, we’ve got this,” she said. She looked up when Claire came into the room, already dressed in scrubs.

“Are we ready to get this show on the road ladies and gentlemen?” Claire asked as she went to wash her hands in the sink. She turned to find Simon and Dot leaving with a wave and excited expressions on their faces. She heard the lock on the door click and blinked down at her hands when a pair of gloves appeared on her hands, it sure was going to be an interesting experience working with the warlocks! 

“It will be over soon, we will be holding them in our arms before we know it” Alec whispered, looking up into Magnus’ eyes when he wrapped his arms around his head. He saw the worry there, the look in his eyes matching his own fears.

“I know, I don’t think I’ll be able to breathe until I see them all out safe” Magnus whispered back, stroking his fingers through Alec’s damp hair as he stared down into his eyes, trying his best to push his own fears back and be strong for his mate. The thought that the three women talking over the plan in the corner would be cutting his mate open and yanking their children from his body had him panicking. The constricting, painful feeling was trying to claw its way from the pit of his stomach. He started when a sheet came up in front of their faces, trying to peer around it to see what they were doing.

“I wouldn't, Magnus. Trust me, you don’t want to see what is happening on this side of the sheet” Izzy said, with a chuckle. She placed another sheet with a large hole in it over her brother's huge bump and started scrubbing his skin down, sterilising it for the incision Claire was going to make. They had decided it was her show, she would perform the surgery, and deliver the first baby. Cat would be delivering the second and she would be closing him up. She would also be monitoring Alec throughout. They would be there with their magic if it was required.

“Do you think we should warn her?” Alec asked, a spark of mischief igniting in his eyes when Magnus ducked back around the sheet. He laughed when he saw the look mirrored in Magnus’ eyes.

“Let Claire do it, I want her to be too engrossed in what she is doing to chew us out for not telling her” Magnus whispered close to his mate’s ear, both of them shaking with nervous laughter, both of them laughing harder when Izzy’s voice floated over the sheet, telling them to behave. “What do you think we’re having?” he asked when they stopped laughing.

“I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be three girls. They’ve been giving me trouble since the moment they I felt them moving around in there. What about you?” Alec asked. He was glad Magnus was trying to take his mind off his worries, he just wanted to know they were safe.

“I think all boys, I don’t think they stopped wriggling the entire time” he said, his face glowing as he thought of all the nights he had spent with his face pressed against his mate’s bump, feeling their little kicks against his cheek, the memory had tears welling up in his eyes. “Thank you, for going through this to give us a family, I love you” he whispered, brushing his mate’s hair back from his sweaty forehead and pressing a soft kiss to Alec’s lips. 

Alec smiled into the kiss, lifting his head slightly to chase Magnus’ lips when he lifted his head and kissing his Alpha a couple more times. His eyes widened when he felt an odd tug from somewhere on the other side of the sheet. “It’s starting” he whispered. He watched as a hundred different emotions crossed his mate’s face, fear, excitement, worry, hope, love. They shone off his face, each one mirroring what he himself felt.

Magnus’ head shot up when he heard a cry ring out through the room, everyone laughing at the noise. By the angel, their first baby had a set of lungs on it! He was practically bouncing in his seat, too excited to see their baby to sit still. “Listen to the lungs on it!” he exclaimed, seeing Alec trying not to laugh. He almost fainted when Claire finally came around the sheet with a huge grin on her face as the baby continued to scream and placed it in his arms. He looked down at his baby, a boy when he checked, making Alec shake with laughter. “Look at him, he is absolute perfection,” he said as he lay their son, still in his arms, next to Alec’s head. He was covered in all kinds and he was tiny but the noise that was coming from him had them both huffing sighs of relief.

“He is gorgeous,” Alec said, his breath catching as he gazed into his son’s wide open eyes, a funny little look of shock on his perfect face. He had Magnus’ gorgeous golden complexion under the muck and his eyebrows and a thick, matted thatch of black hair. He noted with a grin that he had his own lips. “That is Cahya, it has to be, look at his eyes, if they don’t light up the darkness, I don’t know what would” he whispered when he had gotten his breath back. He stared into his son’s eyes, his bright, golden eyes, seeing bright, midday sunshine, his warlock mark. He had thought he loved their babies when they were inside him but he had been wholly unprepared for the rush that flooded him as he stared at his son. He looked up at Magnus, seeing a look of wonder in his eyes as he held Cahya, staring down at him in awe. He grinned when he felt the tugging again.

“I think that’s the next one,” Magnus said with a laugh when they heard an equally loud scream ring out through the room, his eyes lighting up once more at the huge grin on his mate’s face. "I can't wait to see if that’s a brother or sister for you my little jellybean,” he said to his son, ignoring the filth that covered his head as he pressed his lips to Cahya’s forehead and took his scent in, a mixture of sandalwood and roses and something familiar but unidentifiable. He smelled perfect! He looked up with a frown when Claire held her hands out to take him.

“I’ll get him cleaned up and checked over, look, Cat is here with the next one,” Claire said, laughing as the scowl on Magnus’ face turned to a look of excitement. She practically had to pry the boy from his arms as his head whipped back and forth between the boy in his own arms and the baby Cat was holding. She took hold of Cahya as Cat replaced him with the next baby and carried him back around the curtain. “Um, Izzy… you er… you might want to have a look before you close him up” she said with a grin when she saw Izzy preparing to close her brother up, magic already dancing on her fingertips.

Magnus laughed when Izzy shrieking “you bastards” sounded over the sheet. He saw his own mirth mirrored on Alec’s face as he lay his arms down next to Alec’s head, showing him their second perfect son, a carbon copy of his brother. “Meet walker” he whispered “can you actually think of a more apt name?” he asked as he stared into his son’s bright amber, whiskey coloured eyes where they glowed up at him. He swore he could see the setting sun reflected off water in his beautiful eyes. They were darker than Cahya’s gold ones but a perfect compliment to his brothers.

“Hey, Walker, you are beautiful” Alec whispered as he gazed down at his second son, he truly was the twin of his brother. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of sandalwood and pine needles and the same smell Nicholas had had, the smell of beautiful, fresh new baby, it was gorgeous and made his stomach tighten and heart clench in the same breath, perfect.

“I can’t believe you assholes did this!” Izzy said with a half laugh half cry as she lifted a third baby from her brother’s body and clamped the umbilical cord before severing it with her magic, smiling at Cat when she took over to close up. She wrapped the tiny, silent baby up in a sheet, staring down in wonder at Magnus’ lovely golden skin tone, small versions of Alec’s arched eyebrows and the matted mop of what looked like Alec’s dark unruly hair, smiling at the curls she could see would form there when it was clean and dry. The tiny version of Magnus’ mouth opened in a perfect o shape as the baby yawned, making her smile as she stared down in wonder.

“Is the other one out? Why isn’t it making any noise?” Alec asked, the pitch of his voice rising with concern. He had felt the now familiar tugging but the third one hadn’t made any noise. “Izzy, why isn’t it making any noise?” he asked, trying to sit up in his agitation until his sister came around the sheet with a huge grin on her face, his relief palpable, she wouldn’t be smiling if there had been anything wrong.

“I hate you, you pair of assholes,” Izzy said, trying to glare at them and failing miserably as she placed the baby in Magnus’ spare arm and took the second boy from him, handing him off to Claire when she came around the sheet to take him. “Meet your daughter guys,” she said, grinning when Magnus checked, their faces lighting up as they realised they had a little girl too.

“By the angel, look at her, Alexander,” Magnus breathed, his heart dropping through the floor as he lay their daughter next to his mate’s head. She was perfect! He could barely breathe as he stared into her sparkling purple eyes, glowing even brighter than her brother's eyes had.

“Hey my beautiful baby girl,” Alec said gruffly, fighting the lump in his throat to get the words out as he looked into her eyes. He saw rolling moors of heather in her eyes, knowing that the shape of them would be branded onto his heart for the rest of his existence, she was perfect! He would never admit it but he felt an extra surge of protective love for his daughter. He looked up at his mate and saw the same thought written all over his face, he felt it too. “Someone heal me up, I want to hold them, now!” he commanded.

“Why hasn’t she made a sound? She is so quiet and tiny compared to her brothers” Magnus said, he had thought the boys were small but she was barely bigger than his two hands, she literally fit into his hands. The thought broke his heart, she was so tiny, he had to protect his little miniature jellybean from the entire world! He inhaled her soothing scent, calming instantly as he took in the scent of sandalwood and lavender and that sweet scent the boys had.

“She is the most chilled baby I’ve ever seen,” Izzy said, gazing down at the baby lying between her brothers and Magnus’ heads as they stared at her. “Sometimes, one of the baby's will be smaller than it’s siblings if they have been little chunks and took all the nutrients while they were growing. I'll check her over and get Claire to confirm it but I’m sure she is fine” she said, holding her arms out to take her in her arms, smiling when Magnus reluctantly handed her over. “What are you guys going to call her?” she asked as she scanned the baby head to toe with her magic. She was tiny but everything was fine. She looked up to see them grinning at each other.

“Hennessey, we are calling her Hennessey” Alec said, trying not to laugh at the confused look on his sisters face.

“Like the cognac?” Izzy asked as she handed Hennessey off to Claire to be cleaned up and checked over.

“Something like that” Magnus said, locking eyes with Alec and bursting out in a fit of relieved laughter, their babies where here, they were beautiful and they seemed healthy if a bit on the small side, all 30 fingers and toes present. “Our children are amazing” he whispered, skimming his nose up the length of alec’s nose. 

“Thank you for giving me three beautiful babies, I love you,” Alec said, gazing into his Alpha’s eyes. He smiled when Cat came into view and lifted the spell Izzy had placed on him. His whole body tingled when the feeling came back to it. His heart sank a little when he felt a hollow space where his children should be but that space was soon filled up as Claire and Izzy stepped forward with two of his babies. He sat up gingerly, feeling tired but in no pain and smiled up at Magnus when he placed a big V-shaped pillow in his lap and propped the end of his bed up before the children were placed in his lap. He stared down at the three of them Hennessey laying in between Cahya and Walker. She was so small compared to her brothers but they all seemed content enough now that they were all back together, the three of them lay quietly together. He gazed at the mixture of him and his mate. Their eyes were striking, all three of them had the exact same shape eyes as Magnus, each line and angle replicated perfectly but the colours were all uniquely their own.

“The boys are both 6lb 14oz and the girl is 5lb 3oz, they are all small but healthy, they are really good weights considering how early they were born” Claire said as she looked down at the three tiny bundles in Alec’s lap, smiling when they both let out a sigh of relief at the same time. She moved out to fill out the paperwork, letting the rest of the crowd around the bed.

Magnus laughed when they all started crying within seconds of each other, the boys first then Hennessey following along when they startled her. He sat next to Alec, brushing his fingers over their faces, tracing the lines of their cheekbones and jaws as he gazed at them. He looked up when three bottles floated in front of his eyes, snagging two of them out of the air and watching as Alec grabbed the third. The babies quietened instantly as the teets filled their mouths, each of them taking a few tentative sucks before getting the hang of it. “I see they take after you, feed them to make them happy” he whispered, laughing when Alec huffed in his direction.

“Ignore your dad, my precious jellybeans, have as much as you like” Alec whispered, smiling as they greedily sucked away at the bottles. “Where did the clothes come from?” he asked when he realised that the Walker and Cahya were wearing little blue onesies and Hennessey was wearing a pink one, all of them covered in little moons and stars.

“I bought them when Claire told me what you were having,” Dot said, sidling up to the bed to stand next to Magnus, gripping David’s hand as she stared down at the babies. “They are beautiful, congratulations to you both” she whispered. She laughed when she realised she was looking down at her children's aunt and uncles, once removed. It was odd, she thought of them more as cousins to her kids.

“I can't wait to watch them grow up with ours,” David said with a grin. He started howling at the look on his dad’s face when he made it to the front of the small crowd that was gathered around the bed. Dot had told him weeks ago, unable to keep it from him any longer but she hadn’t told another soul about the third baby.

“Three! Where did you steal the extra one from?” Simon asked, scratching his head in confusion when he saw three babies slowly dropping off to sleep. He saw Alec and Magnus staring at the empty bottles in their hands. “Ha, you’ll be amazed at how fast the milk disappears once you get a bottle in their mouths. You will be amazed at how fast everything disappears, milk, diapers, your will to shower!” he said, laughing at the incredulous looks on their faces.

“Did they use magic?” Magnus choked out, they had barely been drinking for a minute before the milk completely disappeared. He watched his sleeping children, his face softening when he saw their little fingers curling and uncurling, their hands were so small, he wanted to kiss each tiny fingertip. He looked up when the door opened again to see Olivia and Lethabo come striding in, both of them breathing hard.

“Thank you, Dot, for sending us a text when the rest of our wonderful family conveniently forgot to mention to us that uncle Alec had gone into labour” Olivia said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she glared around at the rest of the family, her eyes a dark green that was almost black. “We only missed the entire birth, but that’s okay, as long as you were all here!” she growled.

“Uh oh, you’re all in trouble now,” Cat said with a laugh before shutting up when Olivia glared at her. “Is that the time, I must be getting back to LA, the warlock’s won't look after themselves,” she said, avoiding Olivia's gaze. She bent and pressed her lips to each of the babies foreheads and kissed Alec and Magnus on the cheeks before darting out of the door, laughing as everyone else looked like they were all looking for somewhere to hide. Olivia was sweet, until you pissed her off, then you had better get out of her way.

“I’m going to go and find out what’s happening with my mom,” Claire said, deciding to leave the family to it. She waved off the thanks Magnus and Alec stammered out. “No need for thanks, just look after them,” she said with a smile before she departed.

“Olivia, Lethabo, come and meet the babies, all three of them,” Alec said, laughing when her eyes brightened to a luminescent, lime green at his words. “Aren't they adorable, I can’t believe how much more I love them now they are on the outside, I thought it couldn't get any better than while I was still carrying them,” he said, the awe he felt clear in his tone.

“You have been blessed, they are beautiful,” Lethabo said as he bent over the babies, a huge grin on his face as his fingers itched to hold them. “May I?” he asked, golden sparks already dancing around his fingers. He grinned and set about bestowing blessings on each of the babies when Magnus and Alec nodded.

“I can't believe you kept this a secret for so long!” Olivia said as she gazed down at her cousins, all three of them. “They are beautiful, I’m so happy for you both! Lethabo and I will be at the top of the list for babysitters, yes?” she said as she hugged Alec and Magnus and kissed each of the babies on the head, all three of them still enveloped in the golden glow of the blessings her mate had bestowed on them. 

“Of course, in about 100 years, neither of us will be ready to let them go until then,” Magnus said with a grin as he picked Cahya up, unable to hold himself back any longer. He smiled when David scooped Walker up, surreptitiously sniffing his head, they did smell wonderful. His breath caught in his chest when Alec took Hennessey in his arms, they looked beautiful together.

“I love you my sweet little jellybean” Alec whispered, pressing his lips to his daughters head. He smiled when her eyes blinked open a few times before she fell asleep again, she was perfect! He bounced her gently, unable to tear his eyes away from her face. He was pretty sure the huge grin on his face would be etched there permanently but he couldn’t help himself. He grinned even wider when Magnus nudged him before putting Cahya in his arms. His eyes darted between two of his babies, wanting to drink every single detail in and brand them onto the inside of his eyeballs. “Can you believe how lucky we are?” he asked Magnus when he perched on the bed with Walker in his arms, having almost snatched him back from David.

“I think they want some photos,” Magnus said with a laugh when he saw the entire family standing with cameras and phones pointing at them. They posed for photos, Izzy insisting on taking 10 from every single angle. He wanted to snarl when they all held their hands out, everyone waiting for their turn of holding the babies, wanting to keep them to himself but he dutifully handed them over, one by one before curling around his mate on the bed.

“Is it bad that I want them back already?” Alec asked, making Magnus laugh and agree as he curled into him. He had a mini heart attack each time one of his children was handed off to another member of the family. He knew none of them would hurt them but he was already missing them. “It feels weird not having them inside me anymore,” he said.

“I’m just glad they are all here and healthy,” Magnus said, his eyes darting around as he tried to keep an eye on all of his children at the same time. “What a way for them to come into the world though, the doctor almost being murdered by her own mother at the trial being held for the attempted murder of her mate. Somehow, I think we have the oddest birth story ever” he said, shaking his head, a few hours ago they were presiding over a trial and now they were sitting here with their babies all arrived safely.

“I hope I don't go that early, I couldn’t cope if they came before they were ready,” David said, holding walker while Dot held Cahya. He loved the sight of his mate holding a baby, he couldn’t wait until it was their children, as long as they were all full grown before they arrived!

“Me too, I want to keep Daniel inside for as long as possible” Dot said, with a shudder, trying to imagine how Alec and Magnus coped when they realised Alec was in labour.

“Right, give us our babies back and get out,” Magnus said when he had taken as much of missing their children as he could take, staring around until they all handed the babies back to him and Alec. They accepted hugs and kisses and more congratulations before everyone trooped out, Simon having to practically drag Izzy out. “Thank the angel! I love every one of them but I want to spend some time with my family” he said, smiling down at his mate and children.

“Me too, we can have a big party in a couple of weeks but for now, I just want it to be the five of us,” Alec said, leaning into Magnus as he clutched Hennessey in one arm and Cahya in the other, Magnus holding Walker. He laughed when they all woke up at the same time, the boys hollering and Hennessey blinking at the noise her brothers were making but content to just lie in her dad’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do we all think of the names and the warlock marks?


	34. Chapter 34

  
  
  
  


6 weeks later…

  
  


“Magnus, I don’t know how much more I can take,” Alec said desperately, scrubbing his hand over his face, trying to rub some life into it. “Lillith knows I love them but it never ends. I'm going to go mad, I need…” he trailed off, raising his hand when the triplets started screaming in their bouncers around his feet, raising the bottles he was holding in their mouths with his magic. They stopped screaming as the teats filled when the bottles rose to the correct angle.

 

“I know, me too. Remember when we used to complain that they were taking to long to come?” Magnus asked as he gathered the third load of diapers the babies had filled that morning along with their second change of clothes and the empty bottles that had built into a pile in the corner of the couch. “Remember when we used to wear clothes? Clothes that you could go outside in” he muttered miserably as he looked at his mate, sitting in the chair in the same pyjamas he had been wearing for the last two days.

 

“Remember when we used to shower?” Alec asked, a look of longing spreading across his face as he stared at Magnus, his hair flopped down over his forehead and wearing the same puke covered sweats he had put on the previous day? The day before? 

 

“Shower! By the Angel, remember when we used to shower together?” Magnus asked with a sad shake of his head as he stumbled out of the living room. He shuffled through the kitchen and mudroom, throwing the clothes into the overflowing wash basket and the bottles into the sink before opening the back door and aiming the diapers at the trash can. He took a deep breath of the fresh air before returning to the living room and seeing Alec’s eyes drooped closed before his hand fell, the bottles he was holding up falling in an instant.

 

“It wasn’t me” Alec muttered as his eyes sprang open when the babies started screaming again. Walker was the worst, he would scream from the moment one of them put him down to the moment they picked him back up unless his mouth was full. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” he mumbled as he lifted his hand, the bottles plugging their mouths once more as they greedily sucked the contents down.

 

“We need to get out of this house before one of us snaps,” Magnus said as he fell onto the couch in an exhausted heap. He loved his children but taking the three of them anywhere was a nightmare. They had been out a grand total of three times in the last 6 weeks.

 

“They outnumber us, Magnus. There's so much stuff to take and it takes forever to get them ready” Alec said with a shudder. They had taken the triplets to Alicante at three weeks old, to get some fresh air and hadn’t even lasted 20 minutes before he was portaling them all back to the cottage when Walker had kicked up a huge fuss. It didn’t help when they had been surrounded by shadowhunters, his heart falling through his asshole when he had seen them all near his children. It had been the same when they had gone to Izzy’s and her place was full of vampires and warlocks, both of them panicking at the sight of so many downworlders near their kids.

 

“Alexander, if we don’t get out of here...” Magnus trailed off, afraid for their sanity. He sat up when an idea occurred to him. “Let’s do something mundane. We’ll go somewhere full of mundanes. I’ll activate every rune on my body and go armed if it will make you feel better. None of them would stand a chance against one of the most powerful warlocks of New York and one of the Clave’s top shadowhunters” he said, unable to keep the pleading from his voice.

 

“Like what?” Alec asked, he didn’t like the thought of the babies being surrounded by people but mundanes weren't as bad as the shadowhunters and downworlders. They still had to cart a bunch of stuff around but Magnus was right, one of them would lose it if they didn’t get out of here. “What do you want to do?” he asked.

 

“We could take them to a park” Magnus suggested, thanking the angel that Alec hadn’t said no straight away. “Or the seaside or the zoo or…”

 

“The zoo! Izzy and I used to take David and Olivia to this cute zoo in England when they were kids,” Alec said excitedly, liking the idea of them getting out of there more and more by the minute. He looked down when he heard soft little snuffles, they were asleep, all three of them! He gestured with his head for Magnus to follow him out into the hallway, placing a silencing spell on the two of them. “They are asleep! They never sleep all at the same time. What do you want to do first?” he whispered, his voice hissing out with his giddiness. He felt wild!

 

“Let’s get something to eat, no, let’s sleep,” Magnus said, yanking Alec up the stairs, forgetting his hunger in his excitement, they hadn’t fallen asleep together in at least a week. They had been doing everything in shifts. “I know we should probably tidy up or something but.. Wait, let’s get a shower, a proper one” he whispered, quietly laughing when his mates eyes flashed silver, probably from the idea of having a proper shower rather than a magical wash.

 

Alec grabbed Magnus’ hand and dragged him into their bathroom, stripping them with a click of his fingers and switching the shower on. He barely waited for the water to heat up before pulling Magnus into the huge shower. “Holy mother of demons that feels good” he muttered as the hot water cascaded over the pair of them as they stood wrapped around each other, neither of them willing to move for a moment as they felt their muscles starting to relax.

 

“So good” Magnus mumbled as he trailed his fingers up and down Alec’s spine. He grinned into his mate’s shoulder when he felt the twitch of his cock against his thigh. “Let’s just get clean first,” he said with a laugh, neither of them exactly smelt fresh. He grabbed the shampoo as Alec grabbed the body wash. He started scrubbing the shampoo into Alec's hair before rubbing some into his own hair.

 

Alec laughed at the groan Magnus let out when he started soaping down his body before soaping himself up, it felt good to get clean! His eyes fluttered closed when Magnus started massaging his scalp again. “When did life get to the point where getting a shower was the highlight of our day?” he asked with a small shake of his head. He yelped when Magnus picked him up off his feet. He wrapped his arms around Magnus’ neck and his legs around his waist with a giggle.

 

“When we had three beautiful pains in our asses,” Magnus said with a laugh as he pinned Alec to the wall, letting the stream of water rinse the suds off their bodies before he started to trail kisses down his mate's jaw and neck. He grazed his teeth over the mating mark he had left on Alec’s neck, smirking into his skin when he tilted his head with a small moan.

 

“Fuck, it’s been so long, I forgot what your cock looks like” Alec breathed with a chuckle, they hadn’t made love for a week! He slammed his eyes closed when Magnus started massaging his ass cheeks as he took one of his nipples in his mouth. “Yes! you don’t know how much I need you to fuck me” he muttered, tugging Magnus’ head back by his hair to slam their lips together, both of them fighting for air as the sensations running through them stole it from their lungs before a cry came through the baby monitors he had magically rigged to the surround sound system they had installed in every room in the house.

 

“Raziel! We were just getting to the good stuff” Magnus muttered as he hid his head in Alec’s shoulder, groaning when alec just laughed. They were both breathing hard as Alec turned the shower off. He let him down before pulling him out of the shower and handing him a towel. “At least we are clean,” he said with a laugh, the cleanliness of his body perking his mood up.

 

“Come on, they will only get louder if we don’t get down there” Alec replied with a chuckle. He scrubbed himself dry, Magnus doing the same before stumbling back down the stairs and rushing into the living room. He shook his head when he realised Walker was the ringleader, again. “Come here baby” he whispered as he scooped him up from his bouncer and held him to his chest. His son stopped crying immediately as he started rocking him from side to side.

 

“It’s the boys, Hennessey is happy to just lay there but these two…” Magnus said, bouncing Cahya up and down slightly, smiling down at him when he lay in his arms contentedly. Hennessey stopped crying the moment her brothers had, happy to just sit looking around. “Look at your sister boys, she is nice and quiet,” he said, gazing down at his son as he started bouncing Hennessey’s bouncer with his toe.

 

“If we are going to do this, I'm using magic for everything, I don’t give a single fuck about mundanes seeing,” Alec said, smiling down at Walker when he tried to latch on to his shoulder. He brushed his fingers through his son’s mop of black hair, sniffing the baby smell coming from him. He and Magnus might have been getting clean with magic but they had at least looking after the babies properly, they always smelt so wonderful!

 

“We can use that harness thing Olivia gave us for Walker, maybe he won't scream if one of us keeps hold of him. We can use the single strollers Izzy gave us for the other two” Magnus said, starting to formulate a plan as he paced up and down the living room, bouncing Cahya, he liked the constant motion. “Maybe we could just take the basics and you could conjure anything we need?” he asked his mate, smiling when Alec nodded. “We can portal to this zoo, have a look at the animals, maybe get some lunch?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, they have a nice cafe there,” Alec said with a smile, he hadn’t been there for 80 years but he was sure it was the same. He conjured his phone and clicked onto the zoo’s website, scrolling through for the details. “We will just take one spare set of clothes each, 3 diapers each, 3 bottles each, a pack of wipes, some… Magnus! Dot and David want to babysit, overnight they want to take them for the entire night! All three of them” he said when he clicked on the text that had shown up from David, a faint stirring of hope which quickly turned to guilt.

 

“Hey, what’s that look for?” Magnus asked, cupping Alec’s face when he saw the look of guilt cross his face. “Don’t feel guilty at the prospect of being excited for a night alone, I would die for them but we haven't had a night off since they got here, we need this, Alexander?” Magnus almost begged. They had turned down every offer for babysitters, not wanting to be away from the babies but the strain of no sleep and constant diaper changes and feeds was starting to show. It was a full-time job, they needed a night off. He saw the indecision in his mate’s eyes. “I insist,” he said.

 

“They’ll only be a portal away, won’t they?” Alec asked, relief flooding him that Magnus wanted a night off too. “Are we bad parents? Aren’t we supposed to want to be around them all the time?” he asked uncertainly.

 

“Of course we’re not, love,” Magnus said with a laugh, he had never heard anything so preposterous. “You are a great dad, the fact that you feel guilty for leaving them only goes to prove it plus, imagine all the things we can do! Eat a full meal, have a bath, make love, get a full nights sleep, remember all those things?” he asked, smiling when Alec let out a short, sharp bark of laughter. 

 

“Come on then, let's get ready,” Alec said, pressing a quick kiss to Magnus’ lips before firing off a text to David, taking him up on their offer. He waved his hand, passing Magnus his stele and taking Cahya so he could activate his runes before clicking his fingers, dressing him and Magnus in skinny jeans, leather jackets and tennis shoes. “It’s nice to wear proper clothes,” he said with a laugh.

 

“I love wearing pyjamas but those stains are not attractive” Magnus called with a chuckle as grabbed the strollers from the hallway closet and wheeled them into the living room. They set about strapping Cahya and Hennessey into them before dealing with the harness Olivia had given them. “I think this one goes here, no here,” he said, trying to find the right loops for the straps with a scratch of his head, why did it have to be so complicated? “Loop that one through there” he muttered when Alec tried to strap it around his chest.

 

“I wish he would just sit in the stroller, this is like some sort of torture device,” Alec said frustratedly as he pulled the straps tight and it fell right of him. “Why is it so hard? For fuck's sake!” he mumbled, snatching it off the floor and magically attaching it to himself, giving it a few firm tugs and smiling when it stayed in place. “He’ll be fine, Magnus,” he said when he saw the look of horror on his mate’s face.

 

Magnus took hold of the harness, yanking it with all of his might and almost getting a headbutt from Alec in the process before deeming the infernal contraption fit for purpose. He picked up a screaming walker from his bouncer, laughing when he stopped crying when he was picked up, and sat him in the padded seat of the harness, breathing a deep sigh of relief when he cautiously let go and his son didn’t crash to the floor.

 

“I thought these things were supposed to make life easier! Why is everything to do with babies so complicated? You need an instruction manual for everything!” Alec said, looking down at Walker, pinned to his chest with magic and 100 straps. He grabbed the changing bags that went with the green tweed material of the matching strollers and started stuffing them with diapers and clothes and wipes and creams before clicking his fingers and producing 9 ready prepared bottles of formula, passing the bags to Magnus as he filled them with baby paraphernalia.

 

“Why do strollers need leather handles?” Magnus asked with a chuckle as he hooked the bags over the brown leather handles of the swanky strollers Izzy and Simon had gifted them. He grabbed the hand knitted blankets Cat had made for each of the babies and tucked them around Cahya and Hennessey, kissing their little hands and making faces at them when they just lay silently in the strollers.

 

“I have no idea,” Alec said, clicking his fingers and dressing the babies in fluffy snowsuits to make sure they were warm enough. “Probably so they can charge more for them at the store,” he said. He had had a fit when he had seen the price tags on the strollers, he would have just conjured them but Izzy loved shopping more than he did. He watched Magnus stroll out of the room, returning a few moments later with his thigh holsters strapped in place, a crossbow slung over his back and a full quiver of bolts strapped to his hip. “Did I ever tell you how hot you look when you’re fully armed?” he asked as he watched his Alpha strap a couple of ankle holsters in place, pushing a seraph dagger into each one before glamouring the lot. 

 

“No, but you can tell me as many times as you want tonight,” Magnus said with a wink, making Alec laugh. He looked over the strollers and the provisions they had assembled. “I think we have everything, are we ready?” he asked, watching sadly as Alec waved a hand in front of each of their children’s faces and fixed a glamour in place over their eyes, each of them sporting eyes that were a mixture of his brown and Alec’s lighter hazel glamour. He hated it when Alec had to do that but the children’s eyes stood out too much and they couldn’t risk a mundane seeing them.

 

“Yes, we’re ready, finally,” Alec said sadly, pushing his glamour over his own eyes. He didn’t bother glamouring his own eyes anymore unless they were spending time around mundanes, which wasn’t often. He had never understood why his mom used to hate it when he and Izzy had glamoured their eyes until he had children of his own. It made his heart sink to think of any of them being ashamed of any part of themselves and had come to accept his own warlock mark fully since they had been born.

 

“Are we silly for taking them to a zoo when they are too young to comprehend what the animals ere?” Magnus asked when he took hold of the handle of Hennessey’s stroller with one hand and Alec’s hand with the other as Alec created a portal for them.

 

“No, we might as well start making memories with them now, before they get old enough not to want to spend every minute with us,” Alec said with a sad chuckle as he led Magnus through the portal, letting the glamour he had set around them drop when the coast was clear. He was glad it was only slightly breezy as he pressed his lips to the top of Walker's head where it rested just below his chin, smiling when his baby snuggled into his chest and fell asleep. “Plus, we might as well make the most of the leave we have left from council duties,” he said, leading the way through the entrance to the zoo.

 

“Welcome to Chester zoo. Oh! they are so sweet!” the girl behind the counter said when she clapped eyes on the triplets. Alec grinned at her and paid for his and Magnus’ admission, changing his dollars to pounds with a bit of sleight of hand as he handed the cash over to the oblivious girl, she only had eyes for the children. He smiled when the babies got in for free. “I hope you have a great visit, yes I do!” the girl cooed at their babies before they entered the zoo.

 

“It’s changed a lot since the 30’s,” Alec said as he pushed Cahya along. “We were vacationing in the Scottish highlands when this place opened in 1936, we all portalled down here and brought the kids here on the day it opened,” he said, smiling as he remembered the looks of wonder on the David and Olivia’s faces when they saw the animals. “We had tea and cakes, like nice refined mundanes. The maid that served us almost had a heart attack when she saw Olivia’s eyes. David kept dropping his glamour to scare her every time she came to our table, Olivia thought it was hilarious, Izzy not so much” he said with a chuckle.

 

“At least their eyes are blue and green, imagine if she had seen Hennessey’s bright purple eyes” Magnus said, laughing at the grin that spread over Alec’s face as they pushed the strollers along, darting past an enclosure that had a couple of tigers roaming around it and settled for looking at the nice safe meerkats. “We will have to bring them back when they are old enough to appreciate the animals,” he said, watching the small animals dart their heads up at the people passing by. He smiled at the gurgling noises Hennessey was making as she stared up at the sky, more interested in the clouds than the cute furry meerkats.

 

“We should get some photos, to show Izzy, she loved this place,” Alec said, whipping out his phone and getting a selfie of him and Magnus, using his long arms to his advantage to get the strollers in with the meerkats in the background. “Come on, I want to look at the monkeys,” he said excitedly, he would have been happy just getting out of the house but now that they were here, he was excited to see everything.

 

Magnus laughed at his mate’s tone, seeing the excitement on his face was well worth the mission of getting the children ready. He practically had to run to keep up with Alec’s long stride. “Are you trying to see the entire zoo in the next half an hour?” he asked with a laugh when Alec pulled up short. He couldn’t help but stroke the back of his hand across the blush spreading across his mate’s cheeks and down the sides of his neck. So beautiful! He thought to himself, silently promising himself to make sure they took more day trips, it was just what they needed.

 

“I want to see everything,” Alec said, taking Magnus’ hand and pushing Cahya one-handed as they circled the monkey enclosure. They watched as they swung from limb to limb and fought over the fruit being tossed about by the woman in charge of feeding them. “Look at that one” he howled, watching an enterprising orangutan steal the fruit from the bucket at her feet while she was busy.

 

They visited the elephants, giraffes and a mellow herd of zebras before making their way through the birdhouse, getting selfies with the parrots and peacocks before Alec’s stomach announced his hunger. “I’m starving,” Alec said, his eyes zeroing in on the nearest signpost to find directions to the nearest cafe, just in time for the babies to decide they were hungry. He popped a bottle into Walkers mouth, holding it in place with his chin while he performed the most subtle magic he had done in a while, holding Cahya’s and Hennessey’s bottles in place as they wandered along, luckily it was Monday so the zoo wasn’t as busy as it might have been on the weekend.

 

They ordered sandwiches and coffees before they took a seat outside the small cafe, watching the mundanes passing by. “Two BLT and two coffees for dads. Anything for these little angels?” Magnus heard the little old lady from behind the counter asked as she approached the table with a rattling tray in her hands. He quickly jumped up and took the tray from her hands before she sent it all flying.

 

“They have everything they need, thank you,” Alec said, smiling at the confused look on her face as she stared down at the bottles in Cahya and Hennessey’s mouths, apparently holding themselves up. He laughed when she shuffled away, wiping her glasses on the apron slung around her waist.

 

Magnus knew he had a dopey look on his face as he watched Alec eat his sandwich with one hand and wind Walker with the other. He picked Cahya up and did the same, patting and rubbing his back until he started letting adorable little burps out. “Look at your dad, Cai, and he thought he was a bad parent,” he said incredulously, winking at Alec when his eyes darted up and his glamour dropped for a moment, revealing his light grey eyes, his happy eyes before he pulled it back in place.

 

“Your not so bad yourself, Mr Bane,” Alec said as he watched Magnus put Cahya back in his stroller and pick Hennessey up, drawing loud belches out of their daughter as he rubbed at her back. “Lillith, she’s just like her aunty Dot,” he said, falling into a fit of laughter as Magnus howled. He stared at Hennessey as she continued to belch before puking all over Magnus’ shoulder, he did his best to hold his laugh back at the resigned look on his mate’s face but couldn't help it when it burst from him.

 

“Hmm, maybe dad needs to be punished tonight, he’s a naughty boy,” Magnus said to Hennessey as he started cleaning his shoulder off with a napkin, watching Alec from the corner of his eye when he stopped laughing.

 

“Only if daddy is the one doing the punishing,” Alec said with a wink as he bounced Walker in his lap. He grinned when Magnus’ head whipped around to stare at him, his face lit up like Christmas. “I think he likes it when I call him daddy” he continued talking to his son, pretending not to see the huge grin and filthy look that imprinted itself on his mate's face.

 

“Is that the time? We really should be dropping them off” Magnus growled, trying to clear his throat before giving up when he saw the silver glow in Alec’s eyes. He dashed inside and paid for their lunch, clutching his daughter to himself as he grabbed three fish-shaped balloons and practically threw the notes, that Alec had changed for him, down on the counter before hot-footing it back outside to see Alec bouncing on the spot in his haste to get going. He strapped Hennessey into her stroller and followed Alec behind the cafe where there were no mundanes to see them.

 

“Straight to their apartment,” Alec said, his tone lower than intended as he thought of all the things they were going to do to each other when they got home, the anticipation was stealing his breath. He created a portal and pushed Cahya through, swiftly followed by Magnus with Hennessey. “Dot, David?” he shouted as he pushed the stroller down their hallway, paying no attention to the rows of scan photos that lined the walls and making his way into the modern open plan living space.

 

“Are you two sure you’re up to this?” Magnus asked when they found the couple on the huge sectional slate grey sofa, curled around their large bumps and shovelling chips in their mouths as they watched sister act on the monster tv they had hanging on the wall in front of it. They looked way too relaxed.

 

“Are you kidding? The entire has been dying to get their hands on these beauties” Dot said excitedly as she heaved herself up off the sofa and hugged them both before descending on the babies in the strollers. “We’ve missed you jellybeans,” she said as she scooped Cahya out of his stroller and smothered his little chubby cheeks with kisses, wincing when his hands caught in her hair. “It’s like that is it? Trying to beat your aunty Dot up already?” she cooed to him as she disentangled his hand from her hair.

 

Alec kissed Walker’s head a few more times before surrendering him to David, smiling when he clutched him to his chest over his massive bump. “I don’t miss those days,” he said with a chuckle, placing the kid's bags down next to the sofa and looking a little lost.

 

“Get out of here, both of you, you know you’ll never leave them if you don’t do it quickly,” David said, laughing at the expressions on their faces as Alec and Magnus shuffled back and forth, their eyes darting between the three children. “Just rip the band-aid off as the mundanes like to say,” he said with a chuckle.

 

“We will miss you, our precious little jellybeans” Magnus mumbled as he kissed his children on their heads and cheeks, wanting to change his mind and bundle them back into the strollers and pull them all through the nearest portal.

 

“Come on Alec, how are we supposed to get any practice in with you two hanging around?” Dot asked as he clung to Hennessey, David having to practically wrestle her from his grip.

 

“Promise you will call us if anything happens to them? Even if they just burp funny” Alec asked around the lump in his throat as he handed his daughter over. Now that it came to leaving them, he wasn’t sure he could do it.

 

“We will look after them, we promise, no harm will come to any of them,” David said, squeezing Alec on the shoulder before giving him a gentle shove towards the door. “Go on, you need a night off” he urged them, shaking his head when they gave the kids one last look before turning and disappearing through a portal. “We won’t be like that” David said, Dot laughing at the sad looks on their faces, it was only one night.

 

Magnus kept tight hold of Alec’s hand as they stepped out into their back garden. He wrapped his arms around his miserable looking mate, holding him tightly as his own sadness washed through him. 

 

“It’s only one night” Alec reminded himself aloud as he buried his nose in Magnus’ scent glands and ran his hands up and down his sides. He sighed into the silence, his mate’s breathing the only thing to break the quiet that wrapped around them, it was weird not to hear one of the babies crying or gurgling away.

 

“We will see them in the morning,” Magnus said, pulling back to press his lips to Alec’s forehead. “Come on, there's a nice bottle of wine in there with our names on it,” Magnus said with a small smile as he pulled Alec through the back door. They kicked their shoes off and shrugged out of their jackets when they stepped into the mudroom.

 

“It never ends, does it? Even on our night off” Alec said with a laugh when he spotted the overflowing wash basket next to the washer. He pulled the wet clothes out of the washer and transferred them to the dryer next to and switched it on it before he scooped all the babies clothes up and started stuffing them into the washer. His hands hovered over the buttons when he felt Magnus right behind him.

 

Magnus couldn’t help himself, the sight of his Omega bent over as he loaded the washing machine, waving his gorgeous denim-clad ass in the air was too good an opportunity to pass up, especially since they were alone. He stepped forward when Alec straightened up to switch the machine on and wrapped his arms around his mate's waist, pressing his lips to the side of Alec’s neck. He grinned against his skin when his mate tilted his head to the side.

 

“Is daddy feeling a little frisky?” Alec asked breathlessly when Magnus’ tongue darted over his mating mark. The growl of approval Magnus let out made him moan, his dick stiffening in his pants. “Fuck, you really do like it when I call you that, don't you... daddy?” he whispered, laying his head back on Magnus’ shoulder when his hands wandered under his t-shirt.

 

“That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days, Alexander” Magnus growled as his fingers played over Alec’s waist and hips before he sucked a hickey into the beautiful skin of his neck where it joined his shoulder. “Yes, I like it when you call me that, it makes me want to bend you over this washing machine and fuck you until you can’t walk” he whispered in Alec’s ear.

 

“Prove it,” Alec said, his hands fumbling at the buckle of his belt, as his dick fully hardened, straining against the constricting material of his boxers and jeans. He breath huffed out when Magnus yanked his trousers down and pushed him forward. He clicked his fingers and produced a bottle of lube with a grin before he grabbed hold of the edge of the washer and wiggled his ass. “Fuck me until I scream, daddy,” he said. He jolted forward slightly when he felt the cold wet lube at his asshole before he felt a finger entering him, fuck! This was what he needed.

 

“Carry on talking like that and I might make you beg for it,” Magnus said as he scissored his fingers in his Omega’s tight asshole, opening him up beautifully. He grinned when he felt Alec relax around his fingers, pulling them out and yanking his own jeans down, letting them pool around his ankles. He grinned when he realised Alec wouldn't be able to open his legs any wider due to the jeans around his ankles, this was going to be tight. He lubed his cock up before pressing it against Alec’s asshole.

 

Alec pushed back onto his mate's cock, unable to wait any longer. “Lillith!” he cried when he slammed his ass back, taking Magnus inside in one long thrust of his hips. “Fuck” he muttered as the mixture of pain and pleasure took his breath away.

 

“Raziel, you are going to be the end of me, Alexander” Magnus grunted when his cock twitched inside his mate’s exquisitely tight hole. He grabbed Alec’s hips to steady himself, waiting for the signal to move from his panting Omega.

 

“You had better fuck me quick then before you collapse to the floor and leave me to finish myself off,” Alec said with a chuckle. He rolled his hips where Magnus had a tight grip on them and held on to the edge of the washer for dear life when Magnus started to move in and out of him. They both knew it was going to be quick. “Yes, fuck your Omega like that, Daddy” he gasped, the pleasure of the angle Magnus was fucking him at had him moaning with every thrust, it had his dick scraping against his prostate already, the washer at the perfect height for it.

 

Magnus pounded into Alec, grinning when his mate pushed his ass back to meet him with each stroke, chasing his own pleasure. The sight of Alec bent over and moaning loud enough to wake the dead was already pushing him towards the edge.

 

Alec reached down and started to jerk himself off with short sharp pulls to the end of his dick. “Magnus… I…” he trailed off when Magnus stopped moving. “Please, Mag… daddy, fuck me,” he said breathlessly, barely able to breathe when Magnus swivelled his hips. His cock pressing into his prostate. “Fuuuuuck, I’m… so fucking… close” he gasped as his legs shook. 

 

Magnus started moving again when Alec called him daddy, something he hadn’t realised he was into until Alec had said it earlier. It sounded hot as fuck coming from his lips. He pounded back into Alec, again and again, moaning when he felt his balls tighten. He slumped down over Alec’s back and continued to rut into him as his mate’s clenching hole and the scream of “daddy” drew his orgasm out of him, exploding into his asshole with a ferocity that stole his breath.

 

“Fuck fuck fuck” Alec chanted when he felt his balls tighten, the weight of Magnus falling down on top of him was too much. “DADDY!” he let out in a ragged scream as he exploded all over his hand and the side of the washing machine. He slumped forward as his legs and hole continued to twitch with Magnus pumping his ass full of come, laying his sweaty cheek on the cool surface as he fought to get his breath back. The feeling of Magnus’ ragged breath on the back of his neck was sending little shivers of pleasure skittering down his spine as little aftershocks ran through him.

 

“Can we do that again?” Magnus gasped out as he levered himself up off Alec’s back. He reached around and gave Alec’s dick a few tugs to distract him when he pulled out of his ass.

 

“What, now? Can I have a couple of minutes first?” Alec asked with a croaky laugh when Magnus let go of his dick.

 

“No, I meant another time, I liked it,” Magnus said, pulling his pants up and giving Alec’s ass a light slap for good measure, laughing when Alec winked at him before pulling his own pants up. “Right now, I want another shower with my mate” he muttered as he wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist and kissed his neck.

 

“Good idea, I’m feeling a little sticky” Alec said, switching the washer on and dragging Magnus through the cottage. They stumbled up the stairs and into their room, both of them eying the bed. “Just give me a minute,” Alec said as he slumped down on the bed, laughing when Magnus followed him. He snuggled into his mate's chest, promising himself that he would just rest his eyes for a moment before they took a shower.

 

Magnus was asleep before Alec had finished making himself promises he wouldn't be able to keep. Both of them snoring, still fully dressed, within minutes.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for all the daddy kinks out their and so much for all their plans! lol


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I had a crazy dream last night, that all the babies woke up on their 11th birthdays and what was sitting on their doormats do you think? hint, it was delivered by owl lol.
> 
> seriously though, I haven't been able to stop thinking of the lightwood-Bane children and the Lewis children being the first kids from another dimension to go to Hogwarts all day! #AUepisode. If any of you want to write a shadowhunters/Harry Potter crossover fic please tag me bc I need to see them going to Hogwarts with the Potter and Weasley kids. 
> 
> Alec and Magnus, Dot and David portaling there to check out this "boarding school", McGonagall giving them 5 points for their excellent transfiguration skills (glamours) Flitwick buzzing his little tits off when they can perform charms without a wand, Alec giving guest lectures on magic and Magnus giving out some handy tips in defence against the dark arts. plus, I really need to see professor Longbottom #Hero.
> 
> sorry, I got waaaay too excited about this idea. Please, someone, write it. I have 8 more in the pipeline for you all after this one, I would be old and decrepit by the time I got round to it.

2 weeks later…

“FUCK shit shit shit fuuuuuk not now, please not now” David groaned as he clutched his stomach, the glass in his hand crashing to the floor. He had been feeling uncomfortable all day, which was nothing new, he was huge at 38 weeks but this was a whole new level of discomfort, he felt like he was being ripped in half without so much as a warning. His eyes darted around the apartment desperately. “Seriously, you wait until your mom is out of the country to decide you want to make an appearance,” he asked incredulously of his stomach, he knew in that moment that his children would be trouble from the moment they were lifted from his body to the moment they finished him off with their antics.

“Think, David” he muttered at himself as he clutched the edge of the kitchen worktop. He had only wanted a drink when a pain in his stomach had taken him by surprise. He buried his head in his arm when another one came on out of nowhere. “Fuuuuk” he cried, dragging the word out when the pain dragged out. He waited until it had finished before conjuring his phone and dialling Dot’s number. “Pick up, pick up” he chanted, his heart sinking when it rang out, shit! He sank to the floor, breathing hard, and conjured a notepad, sending fire messages to Dot, his mom and dad, Olivia and Lethabo, Cat, Alec and Magnus. Before another pain gripped him.

He rode it out, wondering what the fuck was going on. He had talked to Alec about his birth, wanting to get all the details so he knew what to expect. Alec had told him that he had been getting small cramps and twinges for almost 48 hours before the real pain started. He knew his own pain threshold was quite high but these pains were horrendous, eye-watering rips across his stomach. Had he skipped the little cramps and gone straight to the ‘real pain’? it definitely felt like it, he thought as another pain ripped through him before he heard a gushing sound. “No no no no” he cried when he looked down at the puddle he was sitting in, his waters had broken. Fuck! He couldn’t have a natural birth! He fought through the pain and created a portal for himself, having no choice but to crawl through it, he had no strength in his legs.

He launched himself at the front door of the institute when he crawled out of the portal, crashing through it and catching himself on his hands before he could land on his stomach. “CLAIRE” he screamed from the doorway, unable to go any further. “Someone, help me, get Claire Snowglade” he roared when he saw a shadowhunter come running around the corner of the corridor that led to the Op’s centre. He watched the woman skid to a halt, staring at him indecisively before he lost his temper. “Unless you want to explain to Dot Rollins why you left her mate to give birth in the doorway of the institute you will get me Claire Snowglade, NOW!” he roared as tears streamed down his face. He gasped with relief when she disappeared back around the corner. He cried when another pain gripped him, even as he tried to crawl down the corridor.

“David? Are you… shit” Claire muttered when she ran into the entrance corridor to find her bosses mate dragging himself down the corridor. She almost baulked when she saw his drenched trousers, his waters had broken, she had to act fast. A calm settled over her as her training kicked in and she started barking orders. “One of you fetch one of the beds from the infirmary, now. You and you, help me” she said to two of the shadowhunters that were standing uselessly, staring at David on the floor. “Amelia, Terry, move!” she growled as she reached down to grab David.

David created a portal “one of you get to Alicante and fetch my mate, I don’t give a fuck what Jia has to say about it, you all know what Dot will do to you if she misses this because you were all too busy staring” he snarled through gritted teeth. Almost crying with relief when two scared looking shadowhunters dashed through the portal.

“Come on, I’ve got you,” Claire said, nodding her thanks to Amelia and Terry when they helped scoop David up off the floor and into the bed that had been wheeled from the infirmary. “Have you gotten in touch with your mom or Cat? If they don’t get here soon you are going to have to give birth naturally with no relief, it might be too late to give you an epidural. If you’re too far gone the only thing I can give you is gas and air” she said, feeling awful when she saw the look of fear on his face. She found herself wishing one of the warlocks were there, they certainly had an effective way of delivering babies! “Don’t worry David, your body was made for this,” she said as she wheeled him through the Op’s centre and down the corridor to the infirmary.

“Made for this? Say that when it’s your asshole that’s about to get split in two” David muttered with a withering glare. He screamed when another pain gripped him, almost ripping the rail from the bed where he gripped it. “Motherfucker! I can’t do it, I can’t, you have to get them out” he muttered. He had never been so scared in his life, his confidence was being stripped away with every pain that ripped through him.

“I’m going to have to give you an examination, David, to find out what we’re working with,” Claire said when she pushed his bed through the doors and parked it up. “You are going to have to suck it up, your babies need you,” she said harshly, sighing a breath of relief when her words worked their way through his panic. She darted to the set of drawers when he calmed slightly, to fetch a pair of gloves. She snapped them on when the doors burst open and Izzy and Simon crashed through them. Thank fuck, she thought to herself.

“David!” Izzy cried when she saw her son on the bed. She could barely breathe from the run through the institute from the portal room Dot had had built at the back of the building. “Lillith, why didn’t you call or text when the contractions started?” she asked as she clicked her fingers, dressing them all in scrubs and sterilising the room in a second as she and Simon dashed forward.

“I did, they really want to get out of there. Mom, I’m scared. Dot is still in Idris, I need her here,” David admitted, letting his tears fall when his dad wrapped his arms around him and his mom brushed his hair back from his forehead. “It came on so quickly. Claire said I might have to have a natural birth,” he said.

“Let’s see,” Izzy said, pushing him onto his back and placing her hands on his abdomen. She sent her awareness down into his body, sighing with relief at what she found. “It’s okay, they’re not quite there yet. We have to work quickly though, I won’t be able to wait for Dot” she said apologetically. She pressed her hands to his chest and sent her magic into his body, numbing him from the chest down. She smiled when relief crashed across his face. “Claire, we are doing this now, are you ready?” she asked, smiling when the shadowhunter nodded. She clicked her fingers, setting the room up in an instant, there was no time to spare. She pushed the sheet up as Claire started scrubbing Davids bump down.

“Dad, I know it’s asking a lot but I need someone here with me, please will you stay?” David begged as he looked up at his dad. His heart sank when he saw the look of fear on his face. “It’s okay, I understand,” he said, giving him a reassuring nod.

“I’ll stay as long as I can son” Simon said, giving David’s shoulders a squeeze and pushing past his own fears and discomfort, it didn’t matter how old they got, there would always be those times when a child needed their dad and this was one of those times, he thought to himself as he sat on the stool next to the bed. “I just won’t breath,” he said, making David let out a nervous, croaky chuckle. “It’ll be fine. Izzy, let me know when you make the first cut… shit, there it is” he muttered as the scent of blood reached him, sending his fangs snapping out. He clamped his hand over his mouth as his eyes went wide before he shut his breathing down.

“I’m sorry, dad, I just… I need someone up this end” David said, feeling awful when he saw his fathers discomfort as he tried to hide his fangs. He thanked every demon he knew that his dad was 156, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it if he were a new vampire. His head whipped around when they heard a crashing sound come from the corridor.

“I SWEAR I WILL DE-RUNE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IF YOU DON’T LET ME IN THAT FUCKING ROOM” Dot roared, foregoing the seraph blades in her thigh holsters and yanking the shortswords from the sheaths on the sides of her weapons belt when the four shadowhunters guarding the door to the infirmary wouldn’t move out of her way, she needed more range with four of them. “I don’t give a shit if they already sterilised the room, that is my mate and my children. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY” she screamed, darting forward, aiming to take Amelia’s head off and hoping to get Terry on the backswing. Her arm stopped mid-arc as she was pinned in place by magic.

“Dot, stop, David needs you here, not locked in a cell. You are 37 weeks pregnant, are you really going to get into a sword fight?” Cat asked as she dashed down the hallway. She yanked the swords from Dot’s hands and handed them to one of the relieved-looking shadowhunters before clicking her fingers and changing herself and Dot into scrubs. “I got here as soon as I could. Come on” she said, glaring at the shadowhunters until they moved out of the way. She released a snarling Dot and pulled her into the room, clicking her fingers and sterilising the two of them as they pushed through the doors, just in time to see Izzy pulling the first child from David’s stomach.

“David, I’m here, I’m so sorry. I...” Dot said, trying to avoid looking at his cut open stomach but unable to help herself as she watched her child being pulled from his body. She wanted to throw up, snarl at Izzy for cutting him up and weep for joy all in the same breath.

“Dot, get up here, I don’t think my Dad can last much longer. Dad, go” David called as he stared into his dad’s eyes, seeing them start to glaze over slightly. His relief that his mate was here was warring with his guilt for putting his dad through having to sit with him. “Dad, I’m sorry…” he cut off when Simon waved him off before darting from the room faster than his eyes could track. He cried with relief when Dot came around the sheet, looking a little green but crying as she held one of their babies in her arms.

“Look who wanted to see her daddy” Dot whispered around the lump in her throat. She pressed her lips to her mate’s forehead and lips before she lay their daughter next to his head. “She is so beautiful, look what you made” she whispered as they stared down at their daughter, at her dark brown strands of hair, her beautiful light golden complexion and her mesmerising pearlescent eyes. “Maybe we should name her pearl” she joked as she gazed into them, she already felt like she could stare into them for hours.

“I think I had a little help” David breathed as he watched his daughter's eyes almost sparkle as they moved around. He saw flashes of green, peach and light pink catch the light as they moved, like a mother of pearl stone. “She is the almost as beautiful as her mother” he whispered, unable to take his eyes off his daughter’s. He laughed when she let out a little cry, as though she was surprised to be out in the open before she started hollering, her little face scrunched up and her tiny light brown eyebrows mashing into a thin line as she screamed.

“I think she is missing her sister,” Dot said, her heart breaking for the little gurgling cries coming from their daughter. She ignored the filth covering their child and inhaled her scent, vanilla, hazelnut and new baby. Raziel, she smelt good enough to eat. Her head whipped around when she heard a second cry ring through the room. “I don’t think you have to wait long to see her again, baby” she whispered as she clutched her to her chest. “Here comes trouble,” she said, smiling when she saw David laughing through his tears.

“This one is a Lightwood all day long, she comes into the world kicking and screaming,” Izzy said with a laugh as she came around the curtain carrying her second grandchild, her heart overflowing with love for her. “They both look a lot like the two of you, but this one, her eyes… the colour, they remind me so much of my mom” she mumbled as she lay her granddaughter down on the bed next to David’s head, grinning happily as she watched her son and his mate fall in love with their second daughter.

“How is it possible to fall so hard in three seconds flat?” David asked as he stared at his second daughter. She was certainly her sister’s twin, the little arched eyebrows above eyes that were the same shape as Dot’s and chubby little cheeks and pink lips, that were a carbon copy of his own. She replicated her sister down to the last long eyelash. With one striking difference, her onyx eyes. They were as dark as her sisters where light. She stopped crying long enough to look around, little flashes running through her eyes when they reflected the light before she started screaming again.

“You’re right, she’s a copy us but there’s something of your mom there in her eyes,” Dot said in Izzy’s direction as she stared down at her second daughter. She thought about the memory photo Izzy had shown her, a photo of Maryse Lightwood that Izzy had pulled straight from her head when she had asked her about her mom. 

“This is Maryse, we couldn’t call her anything else, could we?” David asked over his daughter's cries. He looked up to see Dot nodding her agreement as her eyes darted back and forth between their children. “Do you really want to call the other one pearl?” he asked, he wasn’t fussed either way on the name but if she wanted to call her that, he would go along with it.

“No, I prefer Amara, unless you want to call her that?” Dot asked, smiling when he agreed that she was an Amara. “Thank the Angel, I love that name,” she said with a laugh as she switched Amara to the other arm so she could lie next to her sister. They stopped crying for a moment as their bodies pressed together before they started back up again.

“I see there’s nothing wrong with their lungs, do you mind if I check the rest of them over?” Claire asked when she came around the sheet, laughing at their loud cries, they had some lungs on them! “I promise I’ll bring them back,” she said, shaking her head at the looks on their faces, she was pretty sure Dot was about to wheel his bed out the door.

“Come on guys, give them up, she will only be a minute,” Izzy said with a laugh. She took Amara from Dot’s arms and handed her over to Claire before picking Maryse up and following after her to weigh and check them over while Cat closed David up. "Maryse is 7lb 3oz" she shouted out when she put Maryse down on the scale. She scooped her up and watched while Claire put Amara down. "Amara is 7lb 2oz, barely an ounce between them" she called out with a grin, happy with their healthy weights.

“I miss them already, I don’t know how. Maybe they cast some sort of spell on us?” Dot asked as David agreed with her. She wrapped her arm around his head and cupped his face. “Thank you for our beautiful daughters. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here for you and I’m so so proud of you, you did amazing, I love you” she said, her face glowing with pride as she pressed her lips to his.

David grinned into the kiss, breathing hard when she opened up at the flick of his tongue. He invaded her mouth, pouring all of his love into it, his heart skipping a beat. He had his mate and his children had safely arrived. “I love you too, Dot Rollins” he whispered against her lips when they came up for air, staring into her beautiful eyes.

“Actually, I was thinking of changing that,” Dot said with a sparkle in her eyes, a huge grin breaking across her face when she saw the confused question on his face. “I like the sound of Dot Lewis,” she said with a wink.

“Dot Lewis? Okay… I guess, I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the sound of it but can you just change your name like that?” David asked, staring up at her, his confusion only deepening when she rolled her eyes and chuckled.

“I was asking you to marry me you doofus,” Dot said between laughs. She watched comprehension dawn on his face before it broke into a huge grin. “David Lewis, will you marry me?” she asked as she leaned over him, searching his face for an answer.

“I’ll open us a portal to Vegas right now if you want?” David asked, laughing when she fell on him with a sigh of relief. “Of course I’ll marry you, you’re the love of my life, my mate and the mother of my children. You are my soul mate, Dot” he whispered in her ear before she claimed his lips once more. He gasped when the feeling returned to his body and Cat came into view when she removed the sheet. He stretched out for a moment, grinning when there was no pain before he wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled her onto the bed with him.

“Hey hey, enough of that, these beautiful girls want their mom and dad,” Izzy said with a grin when she turned to take the babies back to their parents only to find them wrapped around each other on the bed. “Please leave a little to a mothers imagination” she laughed.

Dot propped the end of Davids bed up and lay on it next to him as Izzy placed Amara in his arms then handed Maryse to her. She gazed down at their children, laying next to each other and thanked Claire when she handed them a bottle each, letting out a little laugh when they stopped crying as they latched onto the teats. It was practically the first time they had stopped crying since they had been born.

Cat waved her hands, removing every trace of blood and gore from the room before sending Simon a text to let him know it was safe to come back. She leaned against the wall, watching Dot and David feeding the babies. She smiled when Izzy came and wrapped her arms around her waist. She hugged her surrogate daughter to her. “They make such a gorgeous family, one more baby to come and they will be a complete unit. I wish your mom could have been around to see them. I was so proud when you had David and Olivia, I can’t believe your son has children of his own” she said, letting her glamour fall away as she glowed with happiness. They were her family and they had just grown by two more.

“Imagine her face if she knew one of her great-grandchildren was named after her,” Izzy said with a small smile and a tear in her eye as she watched them. “Mother of demons I feel old, Cat, I am a grandma, when did that happen?” she asked shaking her head but laughing all the same.

“At least you still look young, you’re a hot grandma. And here is grandad now” she said with a laugh when Simon stumbled through the door, he was already crying. “Go and see to him, I think he needs you” she chuckled. She smiled when she saw Magnus and Alec following Simon at a more sedate pace. “Hey, you finally got him to sit in a stroller?” she said when she saw Walker sitting in a double stroller with Hennessey and Cahya in a single stroller.

“Yeah, turns out we were going about it the wrong way, his sister seems to have a calming effect on him,” Alec said with a chuckle as he looked down at Walker and Hennessey lying calmly in the stroller he was pushing. “We had been putting him in with Cai anytime we had tried to go anywhere but he always seemed to be calmer when he was near his sister so we put them together and he didn’t make a peep the whole time. We started putting them together every time” he said, they had started going out more once they realised he would sit quietly with her around.

“Of course he calmed down, he wants to protect his little sister, don’t you, sweet boy?” Cat asked as she tickled Walker. “Poor Hennessey, surrounded by boys. I pity the day she starts dating. Imagine bringing someone home to meet all these smelly boys, hey?” she cooed at Hennessey, laughing when she glanced up to see the twin glares on Alec and Magnus’ faces. “Go and meet your nieces you neanderthals,” she said with a laugh, pushing them towards the bed.

“God, look at their eyes, they are so beautiful,” Simon said as he stared down at his granddaughters, dashing the tears from his eyes to get a better look at them. “I thought you and your sister were cute when you were born, but these two! I'm so proud of you both!” he said.

“Great, we missed another one!” Olivia shouted from the doorway when she and her mate dashed into the room to find the family crowded around the bed. She bulldozed into them, shoving them out of the way to get to her brother. “I can’t believe you didn’t wait for me! You had them without me. Seriously, you couldn’t wait until I got here?” she asked in disbelief with folded arms as she tapped her foot on the floor.

“No I couldn’t it happened too fast, they must have picked up your impatience. It was over and done with in less than an hour, it’s not my fault if you were too slow” David said to his sister, raising an eyebrow as he stared defiantly up at her. “Meet Amara and Maryse” he chuckled when he saw the corner of her lip curl up, trying not to laugh.

“I almost missed it too, I was in a meeting with Jia when a fire message turned up. Jia’s warlock took ages getting there” Dot said as she got up and handed Maryse to Lethabo so he could bless her. “I almost killed him when he strolled in with not a care in the world. Two of my shadowhunters turned up and told me he was giving birth in the doorway of the institute” she said with a shudder, she had almost lost it in her panic to get to him.

“Did Jia agree?” Izzy asked, smirking when everyone’s heads whipped around to look at her. She saw Dot nod with a grin. “Claire and I proposed a partnership to Dot, I am going to be working with the clave as a midwife. I will be portaling to institutes all over the world to deliver babies, which means no more of those barbaric natural births for the male shadowhunter Omega’s” she said with a grin. The downworlders had been going to warlocks for centuries to have them magically intervene and heal them when they had babies, with the new alliance between them and the clave she had offered to help the shadowhunters, needing a new project.

“Congratulations! Make sure you get a good price for your services, I love her like a sister but Jia Penhallow is tighter than a gnats asshole” Magnus said with a chuckle, his friend knew how to get a bargain. He almost snatched his niece from Lethabo when he handed her over, staring down into her dark, almost black eyes, they would have looked scary on anyone else but there was something enchanting about them that made him want to stare into them. “She is beautiful, I take it this one is Maryse?” he asked, she looked just like the picture Alec had shown him of his mother-in-law. He smiled when he saw his mate peek down at her, his eyes filling up. He handed her over and took Amara into his arms, her eyes just as enchanting as her sisters.

“So sweet” Alec murmured, transfixed by the pair of eyes he looked into. He knelt down to introduce her to his children, Magnus doing the same next to him. He laughed when none of them seemed bothered by the other babies. He knew they would all be best friends in no time. He looked up to see several phones hovering over their heads, everyone trying to get pictures of the five of them together. Izzy had conjured a professional camera and was bouncing around, trying to take pictures from every possible angle.

“Give us our children back” David mumbled, missing his babies. He held his arms out, smiling when Alec placed Maryse in his arms. He sniffed at her head, inhaling the scent of vanilla, strawberry and new baby, it was divine! “I can't wait for them to meet their brother” he muttered around a huge yawn, laying back on the bed and snuggling her down on his chest as he stroked his fingers up and down her tiny little back.

“Me too, 3 weeks and he will be here,” Dot said as she took Amara, rocking her daughter from side to side and brushing her fingers through the soft hair on her head as she gazed down at her. She ignored the rest of them as they chatted with each other, content to just stare down at their baby. She looked up when she saw Maryse being lifted from David’s chest, he was fast asleep. She looked around when they all started waving and shuffling out of the room, letting him get some rest. Her heart overflowed when Izzy placed Maryse in her free arm and gave her a kiss on the head before pulling Simon out the door and closing it quietly behind them. She sighed with happiness, watching over her sleeping family.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, sorry for the wait for the chapter. I have had a rough couple of days and had to take some time for myself otherwise I probably would have lost my shit. Anyway, it is here.
> 
> I'm going to add a trigger warning here, there are scenes in this chapter that some readers may find distressing so please read with caution, but rest assured, there is a happy ending to this chapter, I promise.

4 weeks later…

“David… David, wake up” Dot whispered, shaking his arm to wake him. She glanced at the clock to see it was 4.30 in the morning. She felt awful waking him, they had only been asleep for 3 hours but something was finally happening. “David, wake up! I think it’s time” she whispered as loudly as possible without waking anyone else up. “I think I had one of those twinges Alec was talking about,” she said when his eyes slowly blinked open.

“Really? Are you sure it wasn’t just gas?” David asked when her words worked their way through his muddy brain. He looked at the clock, holding back the groan that wanted to escape him, the twins had finally stopped crying around 1 o’clock. Even with Olivia and Lethabo staying and helping to lighten the load, neither of them had been able to sleep until his sister and her mate had managed to calm them down. “Maybe you just need to…?”

“No, it was painful” Dot whispered, rolling her eyes, her mate thought everything was gas. She lay on her back, the only comfortable position she could lie in, and rubbed her hands across her bump wondering if she had imagined it, she felt fine now. She was pretty sure it was what had woken her up. “Surely this must be it! Your mom said I would go early, I’m a week over. I need this to be it, I just want him out” she said desperately.

“Do you want me to send mom a fire message? She can be here in a couple of minutes” David asked, rolling onto his side to face his mate in the gloomy darkness. He reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. She had been alternating between desperation and a burning fury with each passing day. He knew when she needed a hug and when she needed space, and this was one of the times she needed a hug, he liked those times. “She can examine you and we can know for sure,” he said.

“It’s pretty early, she won’t be too impressed if it’s a false alarm,” Dot said, unsure of what to do. She needed him to be here already but didn’t want to kick up a fuss over nothing, she felt fine now.

“Nonsense, she will be happy to check you over,” David said when he heard the indecision in her voice. “She will be too excited to be pissed. We can wait a little while and see if it happens again if you want?” he asked, rubbing his hand over her large bump, well, large for her, he thought with a smile, tiny compared to his and Alec’s bumps.

“Sure, go back to sleep, if it happens again, we can send her a message,” Dot said, snuggling back into his side as best as she could, she could already feel a heaviness taking over her eyelids. They hadn’t gotten much sleep since the twins had been born, the constant crying had seen to that. Alec and Magnus’ children had finally started sleeping through the night, or more than 6 hours at a time at least, letting them get back to a somewhat normal routine but Amara and Maryse wouldn't let up. It was a constant fight to get them to sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, only making them cry harder out of what was surely frustration. They had started wondering if they were doing something wrong.

Dot was just drifting off when she heard a loud squawking cry ring through the baby monitor, drawing a low groan from her. “It’s okay, I’ll get it,” she said when David groaned into his pillow. She got up, with a humungous effort and padded into the nursery, finding Olivia trying to coax the twins into feeding. “Need some help?” she asked, smiling at the look of relief on her sister-in-law’s face. She took Amara from her crib and sank into one of the nursing chairs.

“I’m sorry they woke you, I know you need the sleep,” Olivia said as she took the second nursing chair and plugged Maryse’ mouth with a bottle, watching Dot do the same. She grinned when they both latched on.

“It wasn’t them, I thought I had a twinge but it seems to be gone now and you need the sleep too,” Dot said pointedly, looking into Olivia’s bloodshot eyes. “I think we all do. We must be the worst parents in the world, we can’t even keep our daughters happy and get them to sleep” she said, staring down into Amara’s beautiful iridescent eyes, watching the odd flash of pink or green flash through the almost white irises as she happily, and silently, suckled at the bottle. She smiled as she watched her daughters hand open and close as she curled her little fingers up against her chubby cheek.

“Hey, you are wonderful parents, you love them fiercely, both of you” Olivia reassured her. “Everyone needs a little help now and then. At least you let us help out, Alec and Magnus wouldn’t even let anyone near the cottage for the first three weeks. Have you sent mom a fire message yet?” she asked. She was glad Dot and David were letting them stay, this way she would be able to witness at least one birth. She looked down when she saw the lamplight reflect off Maryse’ eyes, getting lost in them, the flashes of white through the black irises were mesmerising.

“No, we are going to wait to see if it happens again,” Dot said, staring down at the empty bottle in her hand. The girls were a pair of bottomless pits, they had put weight on fast. They were ‘chunky but funky’ David liked to joke. They were beautiful she scolded him every time he said it. She smiled her thanks at Olivia when the bottle refilled with a wave of her hand before Amara could start crying again. “If it happens again I’ll send her a message,” she said with a sigh, she was so ready to have her baby.

**

“Raziel! tell me why I decided on a natural birth again?” Dot muttered as another twinge skittered across her stomach. She looked up at the clock 7.12 AM. “27 hours! is labour supposed to last this long?” she asked Izzy, looking at her with pleading eyes. She had insisted on having a natural birth and now she was regretting it, she was exhausted. She couldn't get to sleep, lurching back awake each time a pain gripped her

“You are in slow labour, Dot. Every labour is different, there is no set time for how long it lasts” Izzy said, tucking Dot’s hair behind her ear with a small smile. She looked up to see the worry on David’s face as he watched his mate, clutching their daughters to his chest. “At least you got her to agree to come to the institute, we have everything we need here if things start moving a little faster,” she said, trying to reassure him that she would be fine.

“She has been getting these pains for too long,” David said. He passed the girls to his mom and sister, taking his mom’s place on the bed and gripping his mate’s hand. “Maybe the ball will help? or getting up and having a walk?” he asked, wincing at the look on her face.

“I swear I will stab that fucking ball” Dot growled, glaring at it in the corner. She had tried everything she could to speed things up, bounced on the big inflatable ball he had conjured for her, spent hours walking around, ate all kinds of spicy and strange food. She just wanted it to hurry up. “I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m sore and I’m uncomfortable. I don’t want to sit on the fucking ball” she mumbled. Her eyes lit up when David clicked his fingers and passed her a cup full of ice. She threw a couple of cubes into her mouth before rubbing one over her forehead and chest.

“The contractions are still almost an hour apart,” Izzy said, quietly, not wanting to piss her off any further. It was going to be a while before they saw any movement unless her grandson decided to follow his sister’s lead. “There is still plenty of time to have a cesarian if you want if you want to get it over and done with?” she asked

“No, I want to do it naturally,” Dot said stubbornly. She had been tempted a few times to take Izzy up on the offer but she was determined to do it herself. “I’ll be fine, I can handle it. I've faced down hordes of demons before and lived through my injuries, how much worse can these pains get?” she asked, sure she could handle the pain.

Izzy shared a look with David, they both knew how much worse the pain could get. 

“David, help me up,” Dot asked, holding her hands out to him. She shook her head when he picked her up and set her on her feet. She waddled over to the ball and plonked herself down on it, bouncing as she waited for another contraction and ignoring the smirk on David’s face. “I’m sure it won't be much longer,” she said with a nod. Surely it wouldn’t be long now.

**

“I can’t fucking do this anymore, please, just stuff him back up. Please” Dot screamed, her eyes stinging from the sweat pouring down her forehead. She breathed hard, scrunching her eyes up and gripping David’s and Olivia’s hands, another one was coming. She screamed through it, desperately trying to draw breath in as the pain ripped through her. “I can’t do it, I can’t he’s gonna split me in half, give me the cesarian, I don't care if you have to take my entire uterus out, just get him out of there” she cried when it had passed. She knew the respite wouldn’t last. The thought had her slumping back on the bed. 

“You can do this, Dot. You are a warrior, are you going to give up now?” Olivia asked, wincing when Dot almost broke her fingers where she gripped her hand. She saw the same wince mirrored on her brothers face as he clutched his mate's other hand. Neither of them chose to comment on the pain Dot was inflicting on them, she was strong! “You’ve got this, Dot. you’re so close” she said, nodding down at her when Dot looked up at her for reassurance.

“He’s almost here, you're doing so well on your own, my love,” David said as he brushed her sweaty hair out of her face. He didn’t think it was a good idea to point out that it was too late for the cesarian. He grabbed the cloth and drenched it with cool water again before pressing it to her face and chest, her clothes were long gone. She didn’t give a fuck anymore. He watched as she levered herself up on her elbows, a determined expression on her tired face, she had been in labour for 39 hours and things had only been moving for the last hour. The length and intensity of her contractions had suddenly picked up.

“You’re crowning, dear. Push when the next one comes, remember, focus your energy on pushing, not screaming” Izzy said, watching her face turn red as she stared back at her. They shared a nod before Dot started pushing. She could see the strain on her daughter-in-law’s face as she tried not to scream through it. She watched her grandson’s head come into the world, back to back. “His head is out. Stop, Dot, stop pushing,” she said, trying not to let her panic show in her voice when she saw his blue complexion. She carefully reached down and tugged at the cord that was wrapped around his neck. She tugged at it until it loosened and pulled it up over his head, her heart hammering in her chest. She almost cried when it came free.

“I need to push, please, Izzy?” Dot begged, the need was all consuming. She took a deep breath and pushed down when Izzy nodded to her. She pushed with everything she had, wanting to scream and cry and curse as she pushed him out. She wept with relief when she felt her son leave her body with one last almighty shove, slumping back on the bed and sinking into David’s embrace when his arms came around her, his tears mingling with her own as he pressed his forehead against hers. Her grin widened when Olivia piled into the hug, wrapping her arms around the both of them and pressing them all together.

Izzy placed her hands on her silent grandson’s chest. She pushed her magic down into his body, clearing any blockages in his airway and forcing air into his lungs while rubbing his chest, silently begging him to fight. She let her tears fall when his little chest inflated before he let out an almighty scream, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. She vowed to herself then and there that she would never reveal to her son and Daughter-in-law how close it had actually been as she gently scooped him up, mindful of the cord that still attached him to his mother, and clutched him to her chest. She thanked every angel in existence that he had taken that breath.

Olivia watched her mom over her shoulder with bated breath, blocking her from the view of Dot and David. She crowded them as they sat with their foreheads pressed together as Dot got her breath back, ensuring they didn’t see what her mom was doing, but she did. She almost collapsed with relief when he started hollering, almost dizzy from the breath she had been holding. She smiled through her tears when her mom looked up, seeing the relief she felt there on her mom’s face as she nodded that he was okay.

Dot looked up when Olivia released her and David, to see Izzy holding her son out to her. She grinned through her tears when he was placed on her chest, his screams ringing out through the room. “By the angel! He was so quiet when he came out but he is louder than his sisters were. What’s all that noise for, hey? Was that a bit of a shock my sweet boy?” she cooed as she stared down at him, pulling the blanket that David conjured over him as she held him to her chest. It must have been a shock for him when he was suddenly out in the world, she thought as she held him. “You were so worth that pain little man” she whispered as she pressed her lips to his head. She tried to remember if the girls had been that grey when they had been born. “Is he okay?” she asked Izzy, smiling when she just nodded before moving back down to the end of the bed.

“Of course he is, he’s tough as old boots, just like his mom,” David said as he stared at his screaming son, curled up on Dot’s chest. His grin was hurting his face at the sight of them, his son was covered in all kinds and Dot was a sweaty mess but they were the most beautiful thing, along with the girls, that he had ever seen! 

“How about I get him cleaned up while mom sorts you out?” David asked once his mom had delivered the placenta and clamped the cord with her magic, letting him cut it with his own magic. He took their boy when Dot held him up, giving her a reassuring nod when he saw her sad expression before carrying him over to the scales. “Holy mother of demons! 8lb 14oz” he yelled when he weighed him, how had his mate gotten their little chunk out of her tiny body? He wondered. The respect he already had for her jumped up by another thousand notches. He cleaned him up with a wave of his hand, his baby continuing to scream the entire time and dressed him in the tiny outfit they had brought for him, adjusting the size with his magic when he couldn’t fit him into the little joggers and sweater. “You’re a little chunk, just like your sisters” he whispered as he carried him back over to Dot. She looked a lot better.

“I love magic, your mom cleaned me up with a wave of her hand,” Dot said with a laugh as David handed their son off to Izzy to be properly checked over. She waited impatiently, wanting to hold him again, barely noticing when David dressed her in a loose hospital gown. It was nice to be clean and dressed and not in any pain again but she wanted to hold him. She grinned when Izzy handed him back, declaring him fit and healthy. She gazed down at him, staring at his thick mop of dark brown hair, his now beautiful golden complexion and his tiny eyebrows. She gasped when he stopped crying long enough to open his eyes. “Look at them” she whispered to her mate.

“Beautiful” was all David managed to murmur as he gazed into his son’s perfect Topaz blue eyes. He watched them change from the lightest blue to the deepest sapphire before fading back to topaz again until he decided to start screaming again. Even with his little face scrunched up and turning darker by the second, he was perfection.

“Try him with this” Izzy said, handing Dot a bottle of formula. “I know you want to try breastfeeding but it will be a few days before your milk comes in. You can try him on the breast, to get used to it beforehand but he’ll probably be fine once you feed him” she said, laughing when Dot plugged his mouth and he stopped crying instantly as he got a feel for the bottle. The sounds of his suckling when he got the hang of it where adorable!

“Is he definitely okay?” Olivia asked quietly when she pulled her mom away from her brother and sister-in-law. “I saw what happened, don’t worry, I won’t tell them but he is okay?” she asked. She pulled her mom into a tight hug when she nodded, feeling the shake of her body. She felt her mom’s tears dripping onto her shoulder and held her tighter, understanding as silent tears rolled down her own face. Her nephew must have an angel watching over him. They broke apart when his screams rang through the room again, both laughing with shakey chuckles as the realisation swept through them that he was really okay.

“Just like his sisters,” David said with a laugh. He texted his dad, to let him know it was all over as his mom cleaned the room up with a wave of her hand, removing any traces of blood and changing the sheets on the bed. He smiled when Dot held their son out to him.

“I need to pee,” Dot said as she gingerly eased herself off the bed, grinning when she felt no pain. She silently thanked Izzy for it before she was pushed back onto the bed. She looked up, confusion clear on her face.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Izzy said with a chuckle when she saw the look on Dot’s face as she pushed her back onto the bed. “Unless you want to feel like you are peeing razor blades you will hold on until I can sort you out,” she said, shaking her head at the grimace on Dot’s face.

David watched his mom place her hands on his mates body and fix whatever it was childbirth had done to her before getting distracted by his boy’s eyes again. He stared at them as he watched every shade of blue roll through his eyes, even as he continued crying. He couldn’t help but trace his fingers over every millimetre of his sweet face, totally caught up in him. He sniffed his head, inhaling the scent of vanilla, apple blossom and new baby, he smelled perfect! He looked up when he saw the bed dip to see his mate back from the bathroom. “How was it?” he asked with a laugh.

“There were no razor blades, so that’s something, I guess,” Dot said with a grin, leaning into him when he sat on the bed next to her and handed their boy back to her. She looked up when a knock on the door snagged her attention from her son’s gorgeous eyes. She could already hear the girls hollering from the hallway, the sound blending in with their boy’s cries, they were going to be loud! “Come in, I think the girls want to meet him,” she said with a chuckle when she saw Simon poke his head cautiously through the gap in the door.

“Is it safe?” Simon asked with a grin when he pushed the door open fully and carried Maryse into the room, Lethabo following with Amara and Cat, Alec and Magnus following with the triplets in tow. They had volunteered to watch the girls while Dot gave birth. He loved them more than his own life but he would be happy to hand them back to their parents, they had done nothing but cry and scream for the last two days! He carried his granddaughter over to the bed and placed her in his son’s arms while Lethabo passed Amara to Olivia, who immediately sat on Dot’s other side.

“They stopped!” Dot whispered, staring down at her three children when they were all placed next to each other. The three of them were silent, seemingly content to lay next to each other. She looked up to see her amazement etched onto David’s face as he stared at the three of them. She watched as he lifted Maryse away from her brother and sister, the three of them screaming immediately as she was taken away before he put her back with them, all of them stopping crying when they were back together. She watched Olivia do the same with Amara, getting the same result before she hastily lay her down with her brother and sister again.

“I think that’s the quietest I’ve seen any of them since they were born,” Izzy said, staring at her grandchildren as they lay quietly next to each other. She looked around to see everyone nodding their agreement as they watched the children. “I think the girls were waiting for their brother to come along” she gushed, a huge grin breaking out on her face.

“Maryse, Amara, meet your little brother, Daniel Simon Lewis,” David said to the girls while watching his dad’s face. He grinned when he saw his dad break down, they hadn’t told him they were using his middle name for their son. “Hey, watch the babies,” he said when he almost fell off the bed when his dad engulfed him in a bear hug.

“Sorry, sorry” Simon muttered, patting the children down when he released his son. He pressed his lips to Dot’s forehead, grinning against her skin. “How long have you been planning that?” he asked with a chuckle, wiping his tears away with a shake of his head.

“From the beginning, do you mind?” Dot asked, smirking at the incredulous look on her father-in-law's face.

“Mind? You have made your old man extremely happy!” Simon said with a chuckle. “I am so proud of you, Dot, of both of you. You have brought three beautiful children into the world and made our family even bigger. I can’t wait to teach them how to dodge their grandma’s cooking and tell them stories and watch Star Wars with them” he said, looking around when everyone started laughing at him. He used his speed to his advantage when an elbow came from his wife’s direction. He wrapped her up in his arms and smacked their lips together before she could do anything to him.

“He is is the sweetest thing! May I?” Magnus asked, making grabby hands at Daniel when he could wait no longer to meet his nephew properly. He grinned when Dot held him out, taking him in his arms to show him to Alec and Cat.

“He’s beautiful” Alec whispered as he, Cat and Magnus stared down into his ever-changing eyes. He looked down at Hennessey when she started bawling, setting Walker and Cahya off. He scooped her up out of the double stroller she was sharing with Walker and introduced her to Daniel, watching as they quietened when they were brought together, it was the sweetest thing he had seen.

“I want a photo of the six of them together,” Izzy said immediately when she heard Daniel and Hennessey stop crying as they met each other. She grinned when all six of the babies were placed in a row on the bed. She conjured a camera and started snapping pictures of them from every angle, laughing as they silently endured it. She watched as they all lay quietly, sucking on fingers and toes, wriggling around and kicking their little legs. Hennessey decided she had had enough of being quiet and started gurgling loudly, making everyone laugh.

“I think it’s time we got this beautiful boy blessed,” Lethabo said, elbowing Izzy out of the way to scoop Daniel up in his arms. He grinned when all six of the babies started crying at once. He placed his hand on Daniel’s forehead, infusing his entire body in a golden glow as she chanted the blessings and protection's of his people under his breath. He pushed his magic into his nephew’s body and smiled up at everyone when it was complete. “He has the protection of our people,” he said as he lay the boy back in the middle of the lineup. He clicked his fingers when they all continued to cry, producing six bottles and plugging their mouths, silencing them all in an instant.

Olivia watched her mate sit down to face the babies, keeping his hand raised to ensure the bottles were all at the correct angle so they didn’t suck down any air. He sat grinning contentedly as he watched them feed, he was the sweetest, she thought.

Dot accepted hugs and congratulations from Alec, Cat and Magnus before she felt David’s arms come around her. She sighed as she watched her children and their aunt and uncles guzzle down the milk, feeling a completeness she thought she would never feel. They were the family she had never wanted but had desperately needed her entire life. She knew, as she gazed at her children, that she would never understand her mother’s decision to take her own life. She loved her mate with a fierceness that was overwhelming, but she knew that if anything were to ever happen to him, however much it would destroy her, she could never leave her children. Maybe she would never understand it but she chose in that moment to make peace with the memories of her past and to look to her future, the eternity that she would share with her mate and children, with her family, she thought as she looked around, including them all in that thought.

“Thank you for completing our family” David whispered in his mates ear as he pulled her even tighter into his chest. “I am so proud of you, you did so so well,” he said, pressing his lips to the mating mark on her neck. He let a tear fall, so overwhelmed with love for the woman that had swept into his life like a hurricane and changed it irrevocably, for the better, that he didn’t want to stop it falling. “I love you, Dot Lewis” he whispered, grinning when she tilted her head back to smile up at him, at his use of her chosen name. He couldn’t stop himself from pressing his lips to hers, not really caring when neither of them could no longer breathe from the head-spinning kiss, much to the families delight.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I have to apologise again for the wait but this one couldn't be rushed. it's a long one !!!! over 10k words that were hopefully worth the wait.
> 
> Sadly, there will only be one more chapter after this one, I'm crying but all things must come to an end. I'll make the usual announcements after I post the epilogue but I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of you. You have stuck with me every step of the way and I am extremely thankful for every single comment, read and kudos. as a writer, those things are how we gauge our progress and make the sleepless nights so worthwhile. 
> 
> While this is no masterpiece I still want to thank you all for sitting through chapter after chapter and taking this crazy writing journey with me and I hope I have been improving!
> 
> Anyway, enough of that soppy shit, please enjoy this chapter. Prepare your hats and tissues, whether they are for your noses or... other places, wink wink.

3 months later…

“Tell them I miss them and that I’ll see them very soon, I love you,” Magnus said into the phone, not wanting to hang up but getting the death glare from Dot. He smiled when Alec said it back, still getting that fluttery feeling in his stomach whenever he heard the words come from his mate’s lips, he was sure he would still get that feeling in 100 years or 500 years whenever Alec said it back to him. He hung up the phone and turned on his parabatai. “I’m coming, Dorothea, don’t get your panties in a bunch” he muttered, shaking his head when David laughed at the glare she aimed at him. He scooped Amara up, needing baby cuddles, he had been away from his children for an entire night, the first since they had been born and he was missing them terribly.

“I swear, if we are late Jia will have my runes,” Dot said with a grimace, tugging at the neckline of her dress, her fucking dress! She thought with a sad shake of her head. If demons were to attack them now she would have to deal with the tight concealed corset and yards of silk. At least it had two thigh-high splits in the front for easy movement and quick access to the fully loaded thigh holsters she had concealed underneath. She settled the deep gold silk properly around the tops of her arms and glanced in the mirror, at least she looked good, which was more than could be said for Magnus. “Magnus Bane, don’t make me drag you into that shower, you won’t like one of these heels in your neck. Remember how cold the water was last time?” she asked with a smirk, laughing when he shuddered.

“Yes yes, I’m going,” Magnus said with a roll of his eyes. He smothered Amara in kisses before handing her back to David and heading for the bathroom in his old room at the institute. He turned the shower on and climbed in, thinking of his mate with a smile. He washed himself slowly as he thought of the promises they would make to each other today, the promises they had already made to each other in private but would now make for the benefit of the clave and downworld. The thought had him rolling his eyes, political marriage indeed. There was nothing political about their union. He scrubbed his hair quickly, suddenly wanting to be ready and standing in front of Alec.

“Thank the Angel, we are on a tight schedule, Magnus,” Dot said when he eventually emerged from the bathroom in just his boxers. She threw his trousers at him, eliciting a growl from him. “Put them on Magnus, we have got to go!” she said. “We don’t have time for that! David, fix him please?” she begged her mate when she saw Magnus grabbing his hair dryer. She watched as David stepped in front of Magnus and waved his hand over his head, Magnus’ hair dry and styled in his usual mohawk, with a touch of gold at the tips in an instant. She almost laughed when Magnus gawked at himself in the mirror before his face split into a grin. “Now that you look beautiful can you please get dressed?” she muttered.

“Give him a break, Dot, he’s got plenty of time,” David said with a laugh, wrapping his arms around his mate. He wanted to rip the dress right off her but didn’t think Magnus would appreciate the display. She looked hot in a dress and heels with her hair done up in curls and finger waves and a full face of makeup and he knew exactly what she had on underneath, he had helped her pour herself into the underwear and stockings with gusto, twice! “I can’t wait to get you home later and peel this dress off you” he whispered in her ear, smirking at the trail of goosebumps his breath left across her bare shoulders and neck.

“Did you ever think I would be putting the gold on, Dorothea?” Magnus asked with an excited grin, making her and David laugh, as he buttoned the trousers up and smoothed any creases out of them, eyeing the gold stripe down the outside of the black dress pants. He took the white shirt from the hanger and shrugged it on, watching his reflection in the mirror as he fumbled with the buttons.

Dot shrugged her mate off and walked over to her parabatai, taking pity on him and knocking his hands out of the way. She took hold of the shirt and buttoned it up for him. “Yes, my friend, I did. You deserve this more than anyone I know. I have watched you put everyone else before yourself for more years than I can count. You are the most selfless, hard working, caring man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and while I feel like I am ripping my right arm off and handing it over to Alec, I couldn’t be prouder than I am right now. You and Alec both deserve every happiness in the world, and if I could choose to hand you over to anyone, it would be him, you are perfect for each other” she said as she finished the shirt and handed him his suspenders, watching him snap them into place.

She ignored the tear that threatened to roll down her cheek as Magnus fitted his angelic rune cufflinks into the slots on the sleeves of his shirt as she tugged the collar of it up and set the gold bow tie around his neck before realising she had no idea how to tie it. They both stood trying to tie it, almost strangling him in the process, neither of them had had much occasion to wear the blasted things before.

“Here, my uncle Alec will castrate me if I deliver Magnus’ cold corpse to the ceremony because you cut off his air supply,” David said, elbowing Dot out of the way and tying the bow tie around Magnus’ neck before tucking the corners of the collar down. He summoned the gold brocaded coat Magnus would be wearing and helped him shrug into it. “Perfect,” he said with a smile as he smoothed the shoulders of the coat down.

Magnus pulled the coat closed across his body and did up the bronze clasp at his left hip, flattening down the black silk lapel that ran across his body from under his right ear to his left hip, the line of it continuing down to the hem that finished mid thigh. He smoothed down the folds as he looked at his reflection, thinking it looked more like one of his mate’s frock coats than a wedding jacket but he liked what he saw in the mirror. He brushed his fingers over the flocked velvet coat, tracing the damask pattern with nervous fingers, taking deep breaths. He grinned his thanks to David when he was suddenly wearing his gleaming dress shoes before Dot spun him on the spot and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Let's go and get you married” she whispered in his ear, both of them letting out a croaky laugh. She picked Maryse up, glowing at the sight of her daughters wearing tiny little gold satin bridesmaids dresses with a floral pattern etched in bronze and her son wearing a tiny black tux with gold piping on the lapels and side seams, they were adorable! She knew Hennessey, Cai and Walker would all be wearing the same outfits, all 6 of the children matching.

They left Magnus’ old quarters, Magnus carrying Daniel, David, looking handsome in his black tux with a pale gold shirt and black tie, carrying Amara. They made their way through the institute, greeting the rest of her shadowhunters in the Op’s centre, all of them dressed up in their finest and most of them being escorted by their mates, be they shadowhunter or downworlder.

Dot could feel a slight tension in the room, nothing like it would have been a year ago, that would have been wholesale murder, but enough to have her narrowing her eyes at them all. “If any of you even think about starting anything at my parabatai’s wedding I will de-rune you faster than you can shit your pants, do I make myself clear?” she growled out to the crowd of shadowhunters.

“And the monotony and horror of the spiral labyrinth will be nothing compared to what I will inflict on you,” David said to the gathered downworlders with a glare. Some of them might be werewolves, seelies and vampires but they all knew the horrors of the spiral labyrinth. He grinned when they all nodded, the tension seeping out of the room.

“Let’s go then, I have a mate to marry,” Magnus said, almost letting out a squeal to rival one of Isabelle's best. He led them all through the institute to the portal chamber, smiling his thanks to the two warlocks waiting to open a portal for them all. He led them through, stepping out into Angel square, where the ceremony would be performed.

**

Alec hung up the phone with a sigh, wishing Magnus was there with him. He smiled down at Hennessey when she grabbed at his chin with her tiny hand, burying his face in her neck and pretending to maul her. Her little screams of delight had him laughing. “Time to get you and your brothers ready, my sweet angel,” he said, smothering her in kisses before he put her back down in her crib, between those of the boys. He clicked his fingers, dressing her in her gold and bronze Givenchy bridesmaid dress and the boys in their tiny Givenchy tuxedo’s.

He smiled fondly, wondering what Hubert de Givenchy would have thought about him getting married, even in Paris in the 50’s two men would have been laughed at if they had even suggested the idea of marriage. He had helped Hugh launch his first line and had had a close personal relationship with Maison de Givenchy ever since. Magnus had laughed when Alec had insisted they have his friends successor personally create the entire wedding parties outfits but really, where else would he go? He thought with a laugh, she had done a great job.

He wandered back to his room, glaring at the empty bed he had spent the night in, alone, before dropping his towel and sauntering into his closet. He dressed quickly, pulling his black suit trousers on and smoothing down the fine gold pinstripes before pulling a black shirt on and buttoning it up with a click of his fingers before reaching for his firework cufflinks and slotting them in place. He gave his pale golden tie the same treatment before pulling on the black pinstripe vest and knee-length pinstripe frock coat, buttoning the single bronze clasp with a click of his fingers. He pulled on his favourite alligator skin ankle boots, buffed to within an inch of their life. He was just finishing off his look with a wave of his hand when Izzy barged into the closet.

“Did I ever tell you gold was your colour, Iz?” he asked when he saw her wearing the pale gold one-shoulder dress that Clare Waight Keller had created for her. His eye caught on the diamond broach that held the dress together at her right hip, revealing one long leg, the silk material of the train trailing behind her. “You look beautiful” he whispered as he kissed her cheek, smiling at her long hair pinned up elegantly on top of her head and her lips a dark purple that set off her complexion beautifully. "you look just like mom" he whispered sadly, moulding himself to her body when she wrapped him up tightly. Neither of them needed to say how proud she would have been to see this day.

“And you look amazing! It’s been a long time since you made this much effort, I’ve missed this look on you” Izzy said, clearing her throat as she gazed at her brother. He hadn’t put any colour into his hair since the 80’s but the golden swipe he had added to the front of his hair that he had styled into a quiff looked gorgeous. “You know those bold lines aren’t your thing,” she said with a shake of her head, laughing at the petulant look on his face as she waved a hand over his eyes. “Much better, he will love it” she whispered with a wink as she softened the bold black he had lined his eyes with to a smudged, smoky effect. His light grey eyes looked even lighter and stood out, looking even more striking than usual.

“Thank you. You’re right, it looks much better” he said with a grin as he surveyed himself in the mirror. “Keller really did a great job, didn’t she? Hugh couldn't have done a better job himself,” he said as he smoothed down the folds of his coat where they flared out from his waist.

“He would have loved to design your suit,” Izzy said with a sad smile. “But we look perfect, and I do love me some Givenchy,” she said with a laugh before pulling him from the closet and through to the nursery. They scooped the babies up and descended the stairs, finding Olivia, Simon, Lethabo, Cat, Sebastian and his mate, a quiet warlock named Tatyanna who was, oddly enough, the perfect compliment to the brash, loud high warlock, all waiting for them.

“You all look amazing” Alec grinned when he saw the wide array of black outfits, all accessorised with gold accents, they had really gone all out! He handed Hennessey off to Olivia when she held her hands out for her. “Let’s get this show on the road,” he said with a laugh, waving his hand and creating a portal, letting his sister lead them through to Angel Square. He smiled when he thought about the fact that this would be the first time in centuries were downworlders would be welcomed to the city of Alicante.

“Izzy, it looks beautiful, you and Jia have done a wonderful job,” Alec said as he stared around when they all emerged from the portal. There were thousands of lanterns and fairy lights lighting up the night sky, hanging from every tree and lamppost. The smell of white peony and roses hung heavy in the air. There were huge bouquets of the flowers everywhere he looked and they had been used as the centrepieces for the hundred or so tables that filled the square, the lantern light sparkling off glasses and silverware that the tables had been laid with. He smiled at the hundreds of faces that were smiling back at him before he caught sight of his mate, waiting for him on the steps of the old accords hall, the place unused since the breaking of the old accords centuries ago. He let Lethabo take Walker from his arms, ignoring the sly giggles his friends and family aimed his way as his breath caught in his throat, Magnus looked stunning!

“Come on” Izzy whispered, her eyes sparkling at the look of awe on her brothers face when he saw Magnus. She handed Cai to Simon and linked her arm through Alec’s. She couldn’t help but laugh when he almost dragged her up the aisle that had been created between the tables. “Show some decorum, brother. Everyone is watching” she giggled, along with the watching crowd, trying to force him to walk a little slower. She yanked him back and timed their walk to Mendelssohn’s wedding march that was being played by a string quartet off to the side of steps that led to the hall.

“Fuck that, look at him,” Alec said, unable to drag his eyes away as he drank his Alpha in, he felt as though he didn’t have enough eyeballs in his head to inspect every, handsome inch. He chafed at the slow pace his sister was trying to set for them, wanting nothing more than to be standing at his lover's side, holding his hand and making him his in the only way that remained to them.

“By the Angel” was all Magnus managed to utter through his empty lungs as he glanced up and saw Alec running right at him. Fuck! He was perfect. He gaped as Izzy pulled him up short, setting an agonizingly slow pace. He knew he looked like an idiot when a massive grin spread over his face, widening with every step Alec took but he didn’t care, he was too busy thanking his lucky stars that Alec had insisted they go to his designer friend for their suits. The closer Alec and Izzy got, the more detail he could see, had his mate dyed his hair blonde?

“Magnus, where are you going?” Dot whispered through gritted teeth when Magnus started walking down the steps, looking for all the world like he didn’t realise he was moving. He looked like he was in a trance, Maybe Alec was casting some sort of spell on him? She thought with a chuckle, shaking her head at the dopey look on his face.

Alec watched every move Magnus made as he descended the steps, their eyes meeting when they met in the middle of the stone staircase. To reach up and take the hand that Magnus held out to him seemed like the most natural thing in the world. He sighed when he slid his hand into Magnus’ grasp, unaware that he had even been holding his breath until he felt Magnus’ warm skin against his own. “Hey” he whispered as he looked up at the man that had become his entire world.

“Hi” Magnus whispered back, barely able to even utter that one word. He stared down at Alec, gazing back up at him through those impossibly long lashes of his. He hadn’t ever thought Alec’s eyes could look more beautiful to him until he saw the makeup he had enhanced them with. He could barely breathe through the stuttering beat of his heart. “Alexander, you are breathtaking” he whispered, bringing their entwined hands up and brushing his lips across Alec’s knuckles.

“Breathtaking?” Alec asked as he took the last step, drawing level with his mate. “You took my breath hostage, along with my heart and soul the day I lay eyes on you, Magnus Bane” Alec whispered in Magnus’ ear before pressing his lips to Magnus’ cheek. He pulled back to look at Magnus, smiling at the look on his face. “And you look stunning in gold,” he said with a grin before tugging Magnus and Izzy up the remaining steps. He grinned at Dot before taking his place next to Magnus before Brother Ezechiel, who would be presiding over the ceremony.

Magnus grinned as he turned to Dot, thanking the Angel that Izzy and Jia had made them do several rehearsals of the entire ceremony. He took the rose gold bangle that was his wedding gift to Alec from the gold cushion she held in her hands and turned back to his mate. He brushed the tip of his pinkie over Alec's wrist as he slid the bangle into place, smirking at the trail of goosebumps his finger left in its wake, he didn’t miss the shudder that ran through Alec’s body.

Alec reigned his wayward mind in, pulling back from his bodies automatic reaction to Magnus’ antics and turned to his sister. He winked at her when he saw the tears swimming in her eyes and took the rose gold bangle that was a match to the one Magnus had just placed on his wrist. He pushed it onto Magnus’ wrist, going one further than his mate and running his finger under the sleeve of Magnus’ coat, letting it linger a little as he stroked it back and forth. He almost laughed when he saw Magnus’ pupils start to dilate. He jumped when he heard Brother Ezeicial in his head and forced his thoughts away from the… activities they would be participating in later on.

_It is time for Magnus Bane and Alexander Lightwood to mark themselves with the wedded union rune. A rune on the hand, a rune on the heart. A union is born._

Magnus turned back to Dot when he heard the silent brother in his head. He took his stele from the cushion she held and turned back to Alec. He placed the Adamas tip to the inside of his own wrist, smiling as Alec placed his hand over the top of his and guided him in drawing the rune that they had spent hours practising, using a sharpie and finding more and more inventive places to draw the rune. He wished it was his mate marking him but this was the closest they could get to Alec drawing the rune on his body. He grinned when it was complete before he handed the stele back to Dot and watched Alec turn to his sister.

Izzy squeezed her brothers shaking hand as he reached down for the stele that she and the iron sisters had worked to create for him, wanting to reassure him that it would work. She was the fist downworlder they had ever allowed into their citadel, only allowing it because of the new alliance between the clave and the downworld. She and the sisters had used Edomite, the metal found in the demon realm of Edom, in place of Adamas, to forge the stele. It was one of a kind and had taken 2 months of continual back and forth trips to make but with the guidance of the sisters, she had finally managed to forge the substance into a stele that a warlock could use.

Alec took the heavy black stele his sister had made for him from the cushion she held and turned back to Magnus. The black tip was so dark, it looked more like an absence of light than an actual colour. Where Magnus’ stele had lit up and glowed white when it touched his skin, this stele started to vibrate when he pressed the Edomite tip to the skin inside his wrist, forcing him to grip it tighter. He smiled when Magnus placed his hand on top of his and helped him carve the rune into his skin. He winced slightly as he branded himself with the rune but the pain was worth it. He smiled at Magnus when he felt him squeezing his hand as he completed the rune. He returned the stele to the cushion his sister held and turned to Face brother Ezechiel.

_The runes are complete, signifying the union of Magnus Bane and Alexander Lightwood. It is time to make the vows that you will swear to live by._

Alec took both of Magnus’ hands in his, smiling as he thought of the promises they had written together. He had to clear the lump from his throat as an overwhelming wave of love for the man standing before him swept through him so that he could speak.

“Magnus Bane,  
I offer you my name, so that you may use it as your own.  
I offer you my hand, so that I might guide you when you lose your way.  
I offer you my future, so that we may build a life for us and our children.  
I offer you my heart, so that you may always be sure of my love for you.

I vow to stand by your side, every day of our existence.  
I vow to love you fiercely, with everything that I have.  
I vow to honour you and to take your side, always.  
I vow to cherish all that we share together.

I make a promise today, to bind my life to yours and remain faithful to you, as long as we both shall live.”

Magnus let the tear that had been gathering in the corner of his eye fall, not caring who saw it as his mate's words wrapped around his heart. He brushed his thumb over the back of Alec’s hand before he took a deep breath, praying that his voice would ring clear, to convey how much he felt the words he had prepared.

“Alexander Lightwood,  
I offer you my home, so that you may forever have a place to lay your head.  
I offer you my unwavering respect, so that you may always know how much I value you.  
I offer you my life, so that we may make a better one, together.  
I offer you my soul, so that we may forever be connected.

I vow to be honest, with every word and action.  
I vow to protect you and our children, with everything that I am.  
I vow to respect you, body, mind and soul.  
I vow to share with you, all that I am and all that I have.

I make a promise today, to bind my life to yours and remain faithful to you, as long as we both shall live.”

_The vows that have been made today are promises of love, respect and commitment. They are the foundations of a solid union for Magnus and Alexander to build a future upon. Let no man, woman or the Angel himself come between the two that have solidified their union and bound themselves to each other on this day._

Magnus laughed when Izzy gave Alec a small push forward, the unsure look on his face making it obvious he didn’t realise they were now officially married. He reached forward and pulled his husband in by his waist, pressing every inch of their bodies together, standing on his toes to put their faces level. “I love you, Mr Lightwood-Bane” he whispered against Alec’s lips before claiming them, much to the delight of the assembled shadow world watching them.

Alec sank into the kiss in a daze, grinning against his new husband’s soft lips. He was already breathing hard when Magnus parted his lips with one sure flick of his tongue. He invaded his mate's mouth before Magnus got the chance to as his muddy brain caught up to his body, not wrestling for dominance but trying to convey the soul deep love he felt for the man. “I love you too, Mr Lightwood-Bane, with everything that I am” he whispered breathlessly when they came up for air.

Magnus grinned at his mate before taking his hand and turning them to look out over the square, seeing the crowd going wild. He laughed when he saw Simon and Lethabo, uncaring of the laughing crowd as they jumped around, hollering and whooping. “I can see why you married him,” he said to Izzy with a laugh as she and Dot joined them.

“He does get excited but he keeps an immortal existence entertaining,” Izzy said with a fond chuckle as she watched her mate and Lethabo doing a victory dance. “Congratulations, I’m so happy for you both. Welcome to our crazy family, Magnus” she said, pulling her brothers into a tight hug.

“Me too, I can’t think of another couple that deserves happiness more than you two,” Dot said, pulling them in when Izzy released them. “Thank you, for fighting for my parabatai, for making him happy” she whispered in Alec’s ear, giving him an extra squeeze.

“How could I not? I couldn’t live without him” Alec whispered back. He let Dot pull away from his grasp and secured his arm around Magnus’ waist, pulling him into his side. “Are you ready to individually greet each guest and thank them for coming?” he asked with a sigh, rolling his eyes at the thought of the political schmoozing that he and his husband would have to endure, it was going to take hours! “You don’t realise how much I wish we had never accepted those council positions, this is going to be torture. Can’t I just portal us straight to our honeymoon already, let Dot and Jia take care of them?” he asked hopefully, giving Magnus the puppy dog eyes that always made him laugh.

“We should have just eloped to Vegas,” Magnus said under his breath with a chuckle as they began to descend the steps. “Bring me my children, I’ve missed them” he called to his new family, his eyes going wide when he saw his babies wearing their little tuxedos and dress, they looked adorable! He pulled all three of them into his arms, smothering their beautiful faces in kisses. He couldn’t help laughing when his goatee tickled their faces, making the three of them scream as they grabbed for his face. At 6 months old, they had all developed their own little personalities but they all loved cuddles from their dads.

Alec sandwiched their children between them and buried his head in the mix, alternating between giving his babies soft kisses on the cheeks and pressing slow kisses to his husband's lips. His husband! He thought, grinning against Magnus’ lips. “Come on, let’s get this over with so we can enjoy the rest of our night,” he said with a sigh, painting on his best smile and helping Magnus hand the children off to their family, promising them they would return as soon as they could to celebrate with them properly. It broke his heart when the children started crying for them but he forced himself to take Magnus’ warm hand in his and turn to the square.

“I think it’s best if we just work through them table by table , then nobody can complain that we didn’t visit with them” Magnus whispered to Alec, pulling him towards the first table with a political smile on his face that he forced to reach his eyes, he would much rather be talking to their friends and family, the people that were there for them as opposed to their alliance.

They made their way slowly through the square, greeting the acquaintances of either man, chatting for as little amount of time as was politely possible to those that they didn’t like or know very well. They happily spent a little more time with those that they did know and like, like Anna and Roger, who had taken a couple of days off from travelling the world to attend the wedding. They explained that they would start a family once they were finished exploring the word, happy for it to be just them for a little while longer. Or Chris and Steven, cradling their blonde-haired, blue-eyed newborn daughter, Seraphine. They each took a turn of holding her, happiness welling up in each of them for the small family.

They pulled up short when they made it to the table where the warlock council were seated, all seven warlocks that each represented one of the continents sat quietly, some with their mates, some sitting alone. “Valeria Ravencroft, so nice to see you again?” Magnus half said half asked. It was, in fact, not so pleasant to see one of the claves most unbearable shadowhunter at their wedding, sitting at the warlocks table no less. He squeezed Alec’s hand when he saw him turn out of the corner of his eye, signalling him to stay quiet.

“Of course, Bane, Lightwood, I wouldn’t miss the wedding of the century now would I?” Valeria said haughtily. She heard the question in Magnus’ voice and couldn’t stop her eyes from sliding to the left to her mate. “I assume you have met my mate? The European representative for the warlock council, Lorenzo Rey” she said, holding her head up high at her mate's prestigious position, if she had to be mated to downworlder, at least he was important and in a position of power.

Alec almost choked on his own spit as his eyes darted between the shadowhunter and Lorenzo. The warlock had turned his nose up at the clave time and time again, intimating in no uncertain terms that all shadowhunters were beneath him. And here he was, mated to one. She was his perfect match by all accounts, spiteful, vindictive, delusions of grandeur and a sense of self-importance that bordered on fantasy. He had to admit she was beautiful with long black hair and bright green eyes, but centuries of life had taught him that a beautiful exterior could easily be used to hide a rotten core.

“Actually, it’s Lightwood-Bane now,” Alec said as her snobbish, bored tone of voice broke into his thoughts. He disliked the woman instantly. “Please, you must tell us how you met, Valeria?” Alec asked, fighting the smirk that threatened to break out on his face when her nostrils flared at his informal use of her first name. “It must be an absolutely fascinating tale. I hear you have had altercations with the downworld previously? You must be pleased to be able to put all that behind you and help strengthen the alliance between the clave and the downworld? both of you” he asked, his eyes darting to Lorenzo.

Magnus bit his tongue to stop himself from bursting out at the innocent, pleasant tone his mate used as he asked the question. The looks on Valeria and Lorenzo's faces were priceless. He could see the vein pulsing in her neck and the way Lorenzo’s eyes bulged slightly. He pulled Alec a little closer as he fought not to burst out laughing. He had heard of the warlocks reputation as an egotistical son of a bitch, if he was mated to Ravencroft, they deserved each other. He shuddered as he thought of how miserable their life together would be, only making him want to laugh harder.

“Fascinating is not the word I would use,” Lorenzo said, glaring at Alec. “we met at your mate’s trial, that’s it,” he said loftily, reminding Alec Lightwood that his mate had been a criminal. He and his fellow warlocks had been preparing to depart when he had caught her scent, to say he had been less than pleased to find out she was a shadowhunter when he had finally hunted the source of the scent down was an understatement. Of course, he had felt the instant attraction and pull of his mate, but neither of them had reacted favourably to the fact that the other was an enemy they had been facing for centuries. At least his mate was beautiful and her personality was a perfect match to his, even if she was a shadowhunter.

“Well, I’m sure there was more to it than that, unfortunately, we don’t have the time to listen to the undoubtedly epic love story,” Alec said as he turned himself and Magnus away from the table. “I’m sure it is a captivating tale but we have many more guests to greet. Please enjoy yourselves, you are welcome to stay as long as you like” he said with a gracious smile for the miserable couple and the rest of the boring council members.

“If I was Lorenzo Rey, I would have neglected to mention the soul exchange to her and given myself the chance to escape the miserable bitch when her mouth one day catches up to her” Magnus muttered to his mate under his breath, winking at him when he started howling.

“Seems like they were made for each other. I would have thought that finding someone to love him might have mellowed him out at least but he’s still as much a dick as always” Alec said, glancing over his shoulder and watching the couple put their heads together, whispering furiously as they glared at their retreating backs. He turned to see who inhabited the final table Magnus pulled him over to, a genuine smile crossing his face when he saw Jia, sitting hand in hand with a man he had never met but assumed to be her mate, Patrick, along with Ragnor Fell, Clary, Jace and Nicky and a few other clave members. He accepted their congratulations, sighing thankfully when Magnus pulled him onto his lap as he took an empty chair, they had been walking around for what felt like hours.

“Did you see who Valeria is mated to?” Magnus asked his friends excitedly, getting right down to the nitty-gritty. He could admit that he wasn’t above jangling with the best of them. He would shake his head at the gossip of the clave while storing up every snippet of information his brain could hold, for the sake of the clave of course. “He seems as insufferable as she is,” he said with a grin, waving at the couple when everyone at the table turned to stare at them.

“Have I seen it? All Loretta Rodriguez has done is complain since the day she was forced to accept Valeria’s transfer to the Madrid institute” Jia said, baring her teeth in a menacing grin at Valeria and Lorenzo. “I’m pretty sure Loretta is secretly trying to find a way to get rid of the pair of them without ending up in front of the shadow council. I have to say, a report on her actions might find itself delayed, permanently, if she manages to pull it off” she said with a laugh, the head of the Madrid Institute would be doing them all a favour.

“We want to thank you, Jia. You and Izzy have done a spectacular job with the wedding. We truly appreciate all the effort you have both gone too to pull this wedding off” Alec said, squeezing her hand. They had both worked hard to give him and Magnus a wonderful day and despite having to talk to everyone there, the heartfelt well wishes and thank you’s they had received from their guests, especially the couples that were a mixture of Nephilim and downworlder had made the evening special.

“to be honest, I don't think I would have made as much effort for the likes of them,” Jia said, hitching a thumb over her shoulder at Valeria and Lorenzo, smirking when she saw them gathering their things to leave. “But I would do it all over again 100 times for Magnus and you. Thank you for taking my friend off the shelf, he has been gathering dust for entirely too long” she said with a wink, ducking away from the punch Magnus aimed at her ribs. She truly meant it, she was ecstatic that her friend had finally found the happiness he so richly deserved. She frowned when she looked at Magnus, seeing an odd, glazed look settle on his face, his skin turning a shade darker than usual. What was wrong with him? She wondered before Clary’s voice pulled her attention away.

“We are so happy for you guys!” Clary said with a grin, watching as Alec wriggled in Magnus’ lap, trying to snuggle down further into his chest with a huge self-satisfied grin on his face that melted her heart. The sight of Magnus’ white knuckles where he gripped Alec’s leg had her gripping Jace’s free hand a little tighter as he spooned Nicky’s dinner into his mouth with his other hand. They all laughed at the faces Jace was making, his mouth gaping open as he tried to get the food into their son’s mouth.

“Yes, we are. You will have to come to us after your honeymoon.” Jace said, scraping the broccoli mush from Nicky’s chin as he tried to spit it out, making him laugh, their son was stubborn. “We will throw you a dinner party, you can bring those adorable children of yours,” he said, pulling faces at his son to try and coax him into eating more of his dinner.

“We will, speaking of our children, we must get back to them,” Magnus said a little breathlessly, nudging Alec to get up from his lap. He smiled and waved as he dragged Alec away from the table, breathing hard. “Not fair, Alexander. I think I’m going to have to punish you for that” he whispered in Alec’s ear as he tugged him in the opposite direction of their family, ignoring their friends as they watched them with confused expressions on their faces.

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” Alec said innocently, laughing at the way Magnus adjusted his cock in his pants. The flush on his cheeks was beautiful. He only grinned wider when Magnus glared at him as he pulled him down an alleyway between two houses. “I was only trying to get comfortable,” he said.

“Comfortable my ass. You know exactly what I’m talking about, you did it on purpose” Magnus growled, his mate hadn’t been getting comfortable, he had been grinding down on his cock, in front of their friends! He pulled Alec around another corner and pressed him against the wall, crowding him with his body as he pressed every inch of himself against him. He hooked a hand around the back of Alec’s neck, pulling him down into a tooth clashing kiss that set his blood on fire. He invaded his husband's mouth with a ferocity that left Alec with no doubt as to what was about to happen, if his hard dick digging into Alec’s hip didn’t convey it, his tongue certainly did.

Alec submitted immediately, sagging against his husband when he felt Magnus nudge his legs open with his knee and pushed his thigh between his legs. He couldn't stop himself from grinding down on Magnus’ thigh, the friction against his own rapidly hardening cock was exquisite. “Here?” he gasped out when Magnus’ lips moved down his jaw, tilting his head with a quiet moan when his mate nudged his jaw aside with his nose. They could hear their guests, separated from them by nothing but a row of houses, laughing and drinking at the reception. He gasped when Magnus sucked hard at the mating bite on his neck, fisting his hand in the back of Magnus’ hair to hold him there a little longer.

“Yes. Here. Alexander. Do. You. Feel. What. You. Have. Done?” Magnus asked, punctuating each word with a kiss, a lick, a scrape of his teeth as he thrust his hips forward for emphasis. He listened to his mate’s breathing, smirking against his skin with every hitch of his breath. “Unless you are afraid someone will see? If you aren't up to it..?” he asked, taking the outer shell of Alec’s ear into his mouth and sucking on it. He knew Alec wouldn’t turn down a direct challenge like that, his husband was nothing if not competitive.

“The question… is… fuck, the question is, are… you?” Alec moaned. He felt as though he was about to explode in his pants just from the sensations running straight from his ear to his cock. It twitched with every breath on his skin. He pushed Magnus off him and spun on the spot, pushing his hands under the folds of his coat and undoing the buckle of his belt as fast as he could. He shuddered when he heard the zipper of Magnus’ trousers being pulled down. He almost fumbled his own zipper when he got his belt and the button undone, frantically scrabbling to get his pants down and Magnus’ dick in his ass.

Magnus loosened the suspenders holding his trousers up, only enough so that he could pull his straining dick out comfortably, this was going to be quick and hard and he had no patience to get undressed. He kicked Alec’s ankles apart, allowing his trousers and boxers to slide no further down than his knees. He almost lost it when he pulled Alec’s coat up, seeing his exquisite ass thrust back and ready for him. He groaned when Alec clicked his fingers, reaching down to push a finger into Alec’s ass to find he had already prepared and stretched himself out!

Alec pushed straight back when he felt the head of Magnus’ dick pressed against his stretched asshole. He pushed his face into the brick wall in front of him, arching his back to give Magnus better access to his hole. He pulled one of the hands Magnus’ was propping himself against the wall with and used it to cover his mouth when Magnus bottomed out in one smooth thrust, the pain and the pleasure drawing a loud, harsh groan from him that could have been heard a mile away.

Magnus didn’t know what was hotter when he pulled back and slammed his hips forward, burying his dick in Alec’s ass once more, Alec’s ass or his mouth. The sounds trying to escape the cage of his hand with every thrust were the debauched sounds of someone thoroughly enjoying the pounding he was receiving. Magnus built up to nothing, he wasn't making love to his husband, he was fucking him. There were no shallow, gentle thrusts, he went in hard and didn’t let up, his own moans escaping into the night every time Alec rolled his hips, meeting his thrusts in a perfect synchronicity that left him breathless. He loosened his hand from Alec’s mouth slightly.

“I want to hear those moans coming out of that pretty little mouth of yours, Mr Lightwood-Bane” Magnus growled into Alec's ear as he continued to pound into his ass. He gripped the wall with his free hand a little harder, digging his fingers into the gaps between the bricks to try and ground himself. “Those are my moans, I want to hear how much you like my dick in your ass” he whispered as he fought for breath.

“Fuck me harder then,” Alec challenged his Alpha, nipping at the fingers lightly pressed over his mouth. He scrambled for purchase against the wall when Magnus kicked it up another notch. He arched his back a little further, moaning harshly when Magnus took the hint and angled his hips to brush against his prostate. “Shit, right there!.... Fuck…” he shouted, his legs beginning to shake with every brush against the nerves in his ass. “Teach me a lesson, Mr Lightwood-Bane, show me who my Alpha is” he moaned, breathlessly, starting to come apart from the pleasure his mate was inflicting on his prostate.

“I hope someone comes around the corner and sees me fucking my pretty Omega against the wall,” Magnus said. He sucked a hickey into the nape of Alec’s neck as he continued to push into him over and over again. “I want them to see me fucking what is mine,” he said as he continued sucking the marks into the smooth skin of his mate’s neck. “I want someone to watch as I make you come against the wall, untouched” he grunted in Alec’s ear.

“Fuck… Magnus, I… fuuuck” Alec muttered as the words pouring from his husband's mouth had his balls starting to tighten. “I’m yours, my Alpha. Yours, nobody else could make me feel like this” he gasped out before pushing his face into Magnus’ hand as he started to come, screaming into the fingers that clamped down once more over his mouth. He started to slump as he shot his load all over the wall and his thighs, his cock spraying everywhere when his cock bounced as Magnus continued to fuck him, the constant pressure on his prostate drawing his orgasm out.

Magnus caught Alec before he could collapse, pushing him closer to the wall so he could support himself. The feeling of Alec’s rim contracting around his dick, his foreskin scraping back with every thrust was too much. His balls tightened in an instant as he listened to the ragged, whimpering moans escaping his mate's throat. He buried himself to the hilt when he emptied into Alec’s tight channel, his hips continuing to try and thrust of their own accord. “My dick can’t get enough of your ass” he stuttered out, trying his best not to scream his release.

Alec tapped Magnus’ hand when he came down from his orgasm, breathing hard. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow when Magnus removed his hand, needing a minute to get his breath back. He tilted his head, smiling when Magnus nuzzled down into his neck, pressed flush against his back. His soft cock twitched with every harsh breath Magnus released against his neck. “That was…!”

“I know” Magnus murmured, content to just rest inside his mate for a moment longer. It had been amazing. He groaned when the sounds of a party in full swing broke through the post-orgasm bliss they had settled into. He pulled his softened cock from Alec’s ass with a hiss, the feeling of his mate’s walls dragging over every overstimulated inch taking his breath away once more.

“Do you think they’ve even missed us?” Alec asked, grinning when Magnus snorted. He spun on the spot and smacked his lips against Magnus’ before pulling back and watching his mate tuck his cock back into his pants. He raised his hand to clean himself up, stopping when Magnus grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t, Alexander, leave it,” Magnus said with a grin, holding back his laughter when he saw the confused look on Alec’s face. He looked down at the come splattered across the front of his mate’s trousers. “I want to imagine it there every time I look at you” he elaborated.

“You are a filthy bastard” Alec chuckled when he saw the glint in Magnus’ eyes. “You want me to walk around our wedding reception wearing come stained pants, for anyone to see?” he asked, shaking his head at the way Magnus’ body shook with repressed laughter.

“Nobody will see it if you keep that coat on,” Magnus said, letting a laugh burst from him at the look on Alec’s face. It was a mixture of disgust and excitement, he loved the fact that Alec was just as depraved as him. He watched as Alec drew a finger through the mess on his thigh, sticking it in his own mouth as he pretended to think. “Fuck! I want to fuck you all over again” he moaned, pulling Alec down and thrusting his tongue into his Mate’s mouth. He licked Alec’s come off his tongue before pulling back “you taste divine” he whispered.

“I swear, if I hear one comment about come on my trousers, I will give you the edging of your existence later, you will be begging me to let you come and I might not let you” Alec said, looking Magnus in the eye as he pulled his trousers up, leaving the mess where it was. He smirked at the shudder that ran through his Alpha.

Alec moaned when he felt some of Magnus’ come dribble out of his ass, taking note of the spreading wet patch on the inside of his boxers as he did his belt and button up. “What have you done to me, Magnus Lightwood-Bane? I was practically an angel before you came along” he said innocently as he smoothed his coat down, silently thanking the mother of all demons for the length of it.

“Were you fuck! Don’t think I didn’t listen to every story Sebastian has regaled me with over the last year” Magnus said with a grin. One of Sebastian’s favourite pastimes was telling Magnus all about the extracurricular activities they all used to participate in during the 1800s. He laughed when he pressed himself to the back of Alec’s body, a small moan escaping Alec’s throat as he rubbed his pelvis against his ass. He knew the wet patch in his husband's boxers would be pressed against his skin. “You will feel that every time you sit down” he whispered triumphantly, the thought of it making his stomach clench.

“Come on, I'm starving you pervert. Can I at least clean the rest of us up? We are about to eat and this is not sanitary” Alec muttered with a chuckle. He clicked his fingers, cleaning them both up, apart from the come he could still feel dripping out of him as he took Magnus’ hand and pulled him back down the alleyway, he had worked up an appetite.

“You are happy to take my dick in your mouth or rim me until I scream but you draw the line here?” Magnus asked, howling with laughter as they made their way back down the alleyway, at the beautiful blush on his mates cheeks. He kissed Alec’s cheek when he saw it, unable to stop himself.

They emerged from the alleyway and snuck back into the crowd while nobody was watching, Alec's nostrils flaring as he stared around. “Dammit, they already started serving the food, no… they all ate without us” he said incredulously as he stared at the empty plates on the tables they passed, nodding to the guests as they waved or spoke to them.

Magnus laughed when Alec finally managed to bulldoze his way through the crowd, dragging him along in his wake, to get to their table. They sank into their seats and fell on the food sitting on the table, Alec heating it up with a wave of his hand. They inhaled their plates, barely registering the fancy plating of the filet mignon.

“Where have you two been? People have been asking for you” Izzy hissed, staring at Alec and Magnus as they practically licked their plates clean. “you missed the first course. You were lucky to get this, I almost sent it back” she said, shaking her head at their appalling table manners.

“So that means we haven’t missed desert then?” Magnus asked hopefully around the last monumental mouthful of his steak, making Alec laugh and Izzy glare. “Hey, put that down, I haven't finished,” he said, smacking the server's hand out of the way when the guy tried to take his plate. He speared one of his remaining fingerling potatoes, groaning at how good it tasted as he devoured it.

“Do you really want to know where we were?” Alec asked, grinning at the look on Izzy’s face as he scooped the last bite of his dinner into his mouth. He watched Magnus launch himself up when he heard Cai crying in his stroller, his eyes glowing a light grey as he watched Magnus settle back into his chair and plug Cahya's mouth with a bottle as he rocked back and forth, humming to him. He wanted cuddles with his babies too but didn’t want to pick them up in his current state. So he sat back and watched Magnus soothe their son.

Magnus smiled down at his son, humming softly as he followed every movement of Cahya’s glowing golden eyes as he sucked his bottle down. The other two were letting out soft snuffles from the stroller they were sleeping in but Cai was too interested in food to sleep. “You're just like your daddy, he loves his dinner too” he whispered, pressing his lips to Cai’s forehead and inhaling his scent. He propped the bottle under his chin and scooped up some of the gooey molten lava cake that had been set down in front of him at the table, shoving a bite in his mouth before taking the bottle back in hand. “I don’t think he has realised his desert is sitting in front of him through” he whispered with a chuckle, he could feel Alec’s eyes on him.

“He is too busy eyeing his husband,” Olivia said, smirking as Alec stuck his tongue out, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair. “Hey, don’t make me whoop your ass at your own wedding,” she said with a chuckle as she ducked away. The table fell silent as they ate dessert, everyone too busy stuffing their food down to laugh at Alec’s moon eyes as he continued to watch Magnus.

“You will have to cut the cake now and have your first dance on full stomachs,” Izzy said, signalling the servers to take everyone's dishes away. “Thanks to your inability to keep your hands and other body parts to yourselves, we are way behind schedule” she muttered, taking Cai from Magnus’ arms and aiming a kick at them. Sending them on their way.

“Iz, calm down, nobody cares. Look at them, they have been putting the bar to good use” Alec said with a laugh as he dodged out of her way. Everyone else was having too good a time to care about what the grooms were doing. “Fine, we’re going” he huffed out. “He pulled Magnus over to the table with the cake on it, staring at the monstrosity before them. It had 12 tiers, the thing obviously being held up with magic, or maybe with Izzy's sheer willpower alone, and was at least 3 ft wide at the bottom tier.

“Are we supposed to cut this or declare war on it?” Magnus whispered as he and Alec stared at the cake. He picked up the dainty knife that was sat next to it, laughing at the size of it. “That line from that Crocodile Dundee movie we watched the other night springs to mind,” he said, making Alec snort with laughter. “Dorothea, a little help please?” he called out as he tossed the knife aside and spun on the spot. He snagged the seraph blade out of the air when she yanked one from one of her thigh holsters and launched it his way.

“This is a knife,” Alec said with a grin, his Australian accent rolling off his tongue with ease. “What are you laughing at? That was a perfect imitation” he growled when Magnus almost collapsed to the floor laughing at him.

“Of course it was, love” Magnus gasped through the stitch in his side. He grabbed Alec’s hand and spun him around so he was flush to the back of his warlocks body, propping his chin on Alec’s shoulder to look over it.

Alec laced their fingers together across his stomach and placed his free hand over the top of Magnus’ where it gripped the seraph blade. They plunged the short-sword through the cake, sinking the blade into it like a knife through butter as the watching crowd cheered. He scooped up a huge handful of the frosting and splattered it into his mate’s unsuspecting face. “Now we are both smothered in a sticky white substance” he whispered in Magnus’ ear, having to grab his husbands shoulders to stop himself collapsing in a heap at the look of shock on his face, it was priceless! He licked a mouthful off Magnus’ cheek before conjuring a towel for him. “Delicious” he chuckled, dodging out of Magnus’ way when he saw his hand inching towards the cake. “Hey! You don’t ruin Givenchy” he warned.

Magnus dropped the cake with a pout and cleaned his face up. He stalked forward and grabbed Alec around the waist, pulling him in close. “Your suit is already ruined, love” Magnus whispered in his ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth when Alec shuddered against him. He released his husband's ear when he heard the low moan claw its way out of his mouth and signalled to the DJ to start the music.

“Beyonce?” Alec asked when he heard the opening bars of the song Magnus had picked for their wedding song, Halo. He shuddered against his mate once more when Magnus took his hand and placed the other one on the small of his back. He wished he had less clothing on so he could feel his mate’s hand against his bare skin. He settled his free hand on Magnus’ shoulder when they started to sway to the song, Magnus guiding their steps. “You were so adamant about picking the song for our first dance, why this?” he asked.

“Listen to the words,” Magnus said, blocking out the hundreds of pairs of eyes watching them and focusing on him and Alec. He pressed their cheeks together and whispered in his ear; “I had spent so many years building walls around myself, around my heart, protecting myself against something I never thought I could have. Then I met you. I was a goner the second I lay eyes on you, somehow you found a way to open me up. You were like a sledgehammer to my every defence. You knocked those walls away, as though they were nothing but an inconsequential barrier for you to overcome. You woke me up and literally made me break every rule and made every risk we took worth it, a thousand times over. You are all I’ll ever need, I am addicted to you, Alexander, I will never get enough of you.” he said, smiling when he felt a tear against his cheek.

Alec buried his head in Magnus’ shoulder, letting the tear roll unashamedly down his face at his mate’s words. He cleared his throat enough to whisper back; “You chose well, my love. The day you crashed into my store, you shone like a beacon in the darkness that was my existence before I met you. You were that spark I needed, to bring me back to life. One look in your eyes was enough to make me fight for what we could have, they saved me. You make me feel weightless like I will float away if I don't have you to ground me. You are my gravity, the pull that keeps me tethered to this life.” he said, pressing his lips to Magnus’ cheek, smiling at the thought that Magnus was his very own angel. He pulled back, to look his mate in the eye, smiling at the love he saw there. “I love you, Magnus Lightwood-Bane” he whispered against Magnus’ lips.

"I love you too, Alexander Lightwood-Bane” Magnus replied, closing the last millimetre that separated them.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, once again I'm apologising for the wait but this one!!!!!! I know I said I was only posting 1 more chapter but after a request from a reader (thank you dear) I wrote this. I didn't know how much I needed to write this (I wasn't planning on giving them their own story) until they asked for it and the story rolled into my head, it wouldn't let up until I wrote it and I'm fucking swooning (fat headed bitch lol) 
> 
> So this is the longest chapter/novel I've ever written at 16k+ words but it was so worth the slog, it was a pleasure to write. I hope you all enjoy it! (this isn't the last chapter)

 

1928

 

Sebastian Verlac looked up from his desk, in the office of his club, when the telltale signs of an incoming fire message snagged his attention. He was in the middle of writing a telegram to the brewery, informing them in no uncertain terms that he would be paying no more than 30 shillings per barrel as opposed to their ‘suggestion’ of 40 and was ignoring the impatient tutting sounds the delivery boy, waiting on his reply, was making. He put the mundane child to sleep with a click of his fingers before a flaming envelope appeared in midair before him. He snatched it from the air before it could land on his desk and set the entire place ablaze.

 

He stared down at the heavy parchment envelope in his hand, feeling the quality of it beneath the pads of his fingers. Two things about it immediately caught his attention, the handwriting, a beautiful flowing script that he didn’t recognise and the scent that clung to the paper. He could smell the usual faint burnt paper scent but underneath there was something else, a faint scent that lingered and chipped away at his brain, catching his attention immediately.

 

There was something about the letter that spoke to him, as though the contents was of the utmost importance to him. To say he was intrigued would be an understatement, so much so that he clicked his fingers again, waking the boy and dismissing him. He didn’t notice the child getting to his feet with a confused expression on his face, not bothering to look up when the boy slammed the door behind him with a frightened whimper.

 

He stared down at the handwriting, wondering who it could be from. He was no stranger to receiving fire messages from random warlocks, it was part of his job as High warlock of London. What he wasn’t used to was the lurch in his stomach when he received one of those messages. He turned the envelope over and opened it, taking care not to damage the immaculate envelope or its contents. That the envelope was fully intact alerted him to the fact that whoever had sent the letter had put a lot of effort into sending it, going as far as casting a spell upon the envelope so as not to damage it with the fire. It was a tricky spell that required a certain amount of power and there weren’t many that could pull it off. The letter and its sender was becoming more and more intriguing by the second!

 

He pulled out the piece of paper, a shudder running through him at the scent that emanated from the heavy parchment, it was faint still but much stronger than the envelope and clawed its way up his nose and wrapped around his brain. The pit that had opened up in his stomach widened by a mile when he inhaled it. It was the scent of home, a scent so compelling, it almost had him rising from his seat, to go in search of the owner. He took a deep breath, trying to focus through the pounding in his head so that he could read the words that had been written there;

  
  
  
  
  
  


_**December Sixteenth, Nineteen Twenty-Eight** _

  
  


_**For the care and attention of the High Warlock of London,** _

 

_**Good day to you sir. My name is Tatyanna Alexandra Vasiliev. I currently find myself in a most difficult and somewhat upsetting situation. A predicament that is not of my own choosing you must understand, but one that was forcibly thrust upon me through no fault of my own and find that I must endure nonetheless.** _

 

_**I should not like for you to think me ill-mannered, it would be unbearable to me if I were to be perceived as uncivilised, however, I feel I have no choice but to implore you to agree to a meeting with me at your earliest convenience, so that I may personally entreat you to grant me entrance to your city .** _

 

_**I feel that such a meeting is not only necessary but of the utmost importance, that I may show the proper respect that is befitting one of your station. To simply portal into the jurisdiction of another warlock without paying court to said warlock, in my humble opinion, shows an appalling lack of manners that I should not like to display, especially considering the request I must make of you.** _

 

_**It is my dearest hope that you would not think me too forward if I were to humbly beg that I may avail myself of your hospitality. If it is not too presumptuous, I beseech you to grant me asylum in your city.** _

 

_**I am quite familiar with London, having visited many times in the past and I feel no shame in admitting that the thought of seeking asylum elsewhere, in a city or country less known to myself, fills me with the utmost dread. I fear that without your charity, I will surely find myself in an even worse situation than the one I already face. So I must throw myself upon your mercy and ask that you show a fellow warlock the kindness I am in such desperate need of.** _

 

_**If it is agreeable to yourself, to grant my request for a meeting, I ask that you return this message with much haste. I will be able to further elaborate on my situation in person, so that you may make your decision as to the possibility of me taking up permanent residence in your city. It is with much hope in my heart that I sign off,** _

 

_**Your most humble servant** _

_**,** _

_**Tatyanna A. Vasiliev.** _

  
  
  


“Tatyanna Vasiliev” Sebastian said aloud, testing the name out. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. Maybe the woman was Russian? he thought to himself. He scanned the letter again, twice, wondering what sort of predicament she had found herself in. Just the thought of this woman, with the beautiful handwriting and the lingering scent that was exotic and yet familiar at the same time, in any kind of danger had his stomach clenching, for reasons unbeknownst to him. 

 

He read the letter through a third time, wondering at the language she had used. This style of writing had gone out of fashion a long time ago, she said she was familiar with the country but how familiar could she be if she still wrote in the last centuries most popular style? It was 1928 for demons sakes! He had to admit though, he did like her style and was always willing to help a lady in need, he thought with a grin. 

 

He took a fresh sheet of paper in hand, wanting to keep hold of her letter for reasons he didn’t understand, and set about sending a reply, confirming that he was indeed available for a meeting with her and that she could portal to his club, giving her the address. He sent it with a flick of his wrist and read through her letter again. 

 

He thought it was odd, that she kept referring to London as ‘his city’. He didn’t own London and as far as he was concerned, warlocks were free to come and go as they pleased. He had been High warlock for 10 years and in all that time, he had never had a warlock ask him if he would allow them to stay in the city. That practice had died out years ago. When he had been a young warlock, it had been customary, not a requirement, to announce one's presence to the local high warlock if you were visiting another town or country but they had stopped doing that 100-150 years ago?

 

He looked up, pulled from his musings when a second fire message floated above his head. He took it with trembling fingers and read the single line on the back of the piece of paper he had sent;

 

_**I am indebted to you for your timely response, Sir, I shall be with you shortly. T. A. Vasiliev.** _

 

A shiver ran down his spine as he caught that faint whiff once again. It made his heart pound and tugged at his brain, as though he should know exactly who that scent should belong to. He stood up, pacing in front of the window with jittery movements as he impatiently waited for Miss Vasiliev to arrive before he felt the wards around his club go off. He was through the door and dashing through the dingy interior of the club, the candles flickering in his wake, before he realised he had moved. He could barely get the front door open fast enough, poking his head through the gap, to see… nothing. There was nobody there.

 

He stepped through the doors, his confusion evident on his face as he looked up and down the street, searching for whatever had set his wards off, even going as far as walking up and down the road in front of the club. He was just about to go back inside when he heard a muffled groan coming from the alleyway down the side of his building. 

 

He turned back, rounding the corner and staring down at the ground when he found a crumpled heap of teal coloured taffeta and a wide array of hoop skirts, showcasing a pair of stockinged legs with laced up knee-high black leather boots on the tiniest feet he had ever clapped eyes on and a magnificent pair of pantaloons to full effect where the hoops stuck straight up in the air, blocking his view of the person wearing them. He was tempted to laugh until he realised the person wearing the extremely outdated ensemble wasn’t moving.

 

He dashed forward until the wind changed direction, causing him to halt in his tracks, almost skidding down the alleyway as his momentum tried to push him forward. He gripped the brick wall for support as the scent hit him, the scent that had clung to the letter magnified by a thousand. He sank to his knees, uncaring of the filth that started to seep into the tweed trousers of his suit when the beautiful scent of raspberry and white musk with an underlying base note of roses all wrapped around the most delicate scent of Omega stole all the strength from his legs.

 

The scent of Omega. MY OMEGA, his brain was screaming at him, the two words pushing every other thought from his mind. MY OMEGA the scent said, the words crashing from his brain to his heart to his stomach to his soul and back to his brain. MY OMEGA, lying in an unmoving heap on the ground of a filthy back alley in the centre of London. “Tatyanna!” he shouted, unable to keep the panic from his tone as he launched himself forward.

 

He wrestled with the hoops and layers of skirts, the yards of cotton and silk and taffeta until he finally got his mate's dress under enough control to get a look at her. He gasped for breath as the beauty of the woman stole all the air from his lungs. He searched her face for signs of life, taking in her alabaster skin, the rose-red blush on her prominent cheekbones and the curve of her jawline, the plump pink lips and thinly arched brows, pale enough that they were barely there. They were a complete contrast with the mahogany ringlets and curls piled elaborately atop her head and cascading down her right shoulder.

 

He pushed his hands under her corseted rib cage, lifting her up and pressing his ear to the swell of her generous chest, almost crying out when he heard the steady thumping of her heart. He pressed his finger under her nose, needing to double check that she was breathing and let his own breath out when he felt the air streaming out of her nose. 

 

He scooped her up in his arms, which was no mean feat considering how much dress she was wearing, and marvelled at the reassuring weight in his arms, he liked that she had a little extra padding, she was a woman of substance. He enjoyed all body types, tall, short, large or small but extra padding meant there was more to appreciate and he was greedy, he was an arse and breast man, to say nothing of how much he enjoyed a nice pair of juicy thighs wrapped around his head. He shook his head, banishing his deplorable thoughts, what was wrong with him? She was passed out in his arms and he was imagining what she looked like beneath her gown? He made his way back down the alley, mentally kicking himself as he carried her limp body into his club. He lay her down on the short couch when he reached his office.

 

“Tatyanna?” he asked, completely forgetting his manners as he addressed his mate, gently shaking her to try and wake her. “Miss Vasiliev, please wake up,” he said a little louder, going as far as to really give her a good shake. He was contemplating sending his old friend, Caterina Loss, a warlock renowned for her healing abilities, a fire message when he saw her stirring.

 

The most delectable, earth-shattering scent worked its way through Tatyanna’s foggy brain as she took deep breaths. The scent of apples and jasmine and a beautiful base note of roses all accented by the most perfect scent of Alpha she had ever had the pleasure of smelling invaded her lungs. Alpha, the scent of Alpha. Her Alpha! “MY ALPHA” she barked out as the realisation hit her like one of those new steam trains. She sat bolt upright as her eyes sprang open, which was a mistake, not the biggest one she had made today, admittedly, but bad enough. She slumped back onto the sofa as a wave of dizziness overtook her.

 

Sebastian stared down at his mate, trying to understand whatever it was she had said to him. She looked as if maybe she hadn’t realised she had barked something at him, in a husky voice that was like music to his dick, in what sounded like Russian, confirming his earlier thoughts. All thoughts scattered from his mind when he saw the cornflower blue eyes she was staring up at him with. “My name is Sebastian Verlac, I am the High Warlock of London,” he said, uncaring of the waver in his voice when he spoke to her. “You write beautiful English but do you speak it?” he asked.

 

“Luchik,” Tatyanna said, raising one gloved hand to touch the golden hair of the man who was knelt beside her, her mate. She shuddered when she felt the tangible proof that she had a mate beneath her hand. She searched every inch of his handsome face, willing herself to believe what her eyes and nose was telling her, what the straining of her lungs, the solid proof she could feel in her hand as she cupped his strong jaw was screaming at her, that this man with his golden waves, strong jaw and clear, compelling blue eyes was the one that had been made for her. “Yes, I speak English” she managed to utter when his words filtered down into her brain. She felt the tear roll down her face as she stared at him, seeing the moment she could no longer control her glamour, and it fell away, as it registered on his face.

 

Sebastian was lost for words when his mate’s glamour fell away. The mahogany colour of her hair faded before his eyes, being replaced with white curls, no, silver! or were they gold? No, they were definitely white, whiter than pure snow. Her hair shone so brightly he could barely look at it but could not force himself to look away. He thought she had been beautiful with the dark hair but she was… absolute, stunning perfection with the bright white hair. He couldn’t help but reach out and wrap one of her ringlets around his finger, wanting to know if it felt like hair or metal or ice. Now her eyebrows made sense. “Beautiful” he murmured, staring into her eyes.

 

“My name is Tatyanna Vasiliev,” she said, refusing to remove her hand from his face, she couldn’t force herself to move a muscle, terrified that if she released him, he would disappear. She inspected every inch of him, her eyes darting back to his blonde hair again and again. It reminded her of a ray of sun. “Luchik, I…” she tried to sit up, while still keeping one hand glued to his face, fighting against the tight corset that bound her body. She knew, in the eyes of an Englishman, she was being entirely too forward with her gestures but the thought of him leaving her had her fighting for air that wouldn’t come. She thanked him with a smile when he propped her upright, letting her swing her legs down.

 

Sebastian was too busy staring at the radiant smile that broke across her face to realise that he was being a terrible host. Her even white teeth were on full display, turning him into a grinning idiot. He shook himself off when he saw her breathing hard. “Here, drink this” he whispered, waving his hand and conjuring her a glass of water. He watched with fascination as she wrapped her lips around the edge of the glass, taking small sips as she continued to stare at him. “I'm sorry Miss Vasiliev, but, who is Luchik?” he asked. She had called him it twice, with a beautiful Russian accent that was almost musical and he didn’t have the faintest idea what it meant, Russian wasn’t a language he was familiar with, something he would endeavour to remedy as soon as possible.

 

“It means, sunbeam or ray of light,” she said, eying his hair once again with a small smile. “I must apologize for… my landing. London has changed a lot since I last visited, I was wholly unprepared for the wall I portalled through” she said, shaking her head at her folly. She had managed to erect a barrier at the last moment when she had realised that the portal she had opened was half in the alleyway and half in the wall itself. She hadn’t been able to stop herself from crashing into the wall all together though. “And please, call me Tatya, Miss Vasiliev is a little formal when one addresses their mate, yes?” she asked, watching the twin of the shiver that ran down her own spine, run down his at her use of the word. She couldn’t quite bring herself to care about good manners in that moment, not when she had finally found her Alpha.

 

“Tatya, are you hurt? Do you think you can stand?” Sebastian asked, his fingers fluttering over her head, wanting to be sure she had come out from her fight with the wall unscathed. “I have a friend who is a gifted healer, she could come and check you over if you like?” he asked, once more considering sending Cat a fire message.

 

“No, thank you, I am fine. I think my ego is a little bruised but the rest of me is okay” Tatya said ruefully. She accepted his hand when he stood and reached down for her, wishing she wasn't wearing the dainty white lace gloves she had selected when she had dressed herself that morning, she wanted to see what his skin felt like against hers. Feeling emboldened, she peeled the gloves off her hands and reached out to take his hand once more, her stomach clenching when she felt a spark when she touched him, letting him pull her to her feet.

 

“I.. I quite forgot what I was about to say,” Sebastian said, shaking his head to try and clear it when he felt the spark their skin had created when they touched. He stared down at her, unable to stop his eyes from roving over her entire body in a most ungentlemanly fashion. She only came up to his chest, 5 and a half ft at best. The ruches and folds of her taffeta gown were trying their best to make her look taller but it wasn't working. The colour against her pale skin and white, glowing hair was striking. He thanked his lucky stars that she had refrained from making her face up, she didn’t need it and it would have disguised the deep blush that blossomed on her cheeks when she took his hand. “Ah yes, your letter? You said you were in a spot of trouble?” he asked, fighting down the growl that wanted to erupt from his throat at the thought of his mate being in any danger. He winced when he saw her reaction to his words.

 

“If you can call banishment trouble, then yes, I am in a… a spot of trouble?” she said, her sentence curling up into a question at the end, what was this spot he spoke of? She shook her head as a deep sigh escaped her. “I have been banished from my beloved Russia by a bunch of upstarts who do not know their places,” she said, raking a hand through her hair to try and calm the disquiet that ran through her. “They came to my home and made me pack my things, they told me never to come back, that I was no longer welcome in my own country!” she said, her voice rising with every word.

 

“Who? Who banished you? Give me their names” Sebastian growled, furious that these people thought they could kick someone out of their home, their entire country, much less his mate. “Give me their names and they will wish they had never heard the word Russia,” he said, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her shoulders as though he had done it a thousand times before.

 

Tatya stiffened slightly before melting against Sebastian’s strong chest, letting the tears of frustration, anger and homesickness roll down her face and sink into the wool of his waistcoat. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried her heartache out, purging herself of the sadness that rolled through her in waves, hearing the hail start against the roof of the building they were in. She let out a croaky laugh when he pulled back slightly and held out a lace handkerchief between two of his fingers. “I am sorry, Sebastian, it is quite unseemly to be crying all over you. I was overcome, please forgive my outburst?” she asked after she cleared her throat and blew her nose.

 

“You have nothing to apologize for, Tatya,” Sebastian said, brushing a stray tear from her eye. He gestured to the couch, seating himself next to her and conjured a tray, complete with a steaming teapot, cups and saucers and a small jug of milk, smiling when she set about making them a brew each. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?” he asked as he watched her stir the contents of the teapot.

 

“Well, it all started 500 years ago,” Tatya said as she prepared the tea, too focused on pouring the hot liquid into the bone china cups to notice the choking sound coming from her mate. She handed him his cup and raised the jug, pouring the milk into his cup when he just nodded at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She picked her own cup up, taking an appreciative sip before setting it down on her saucer. 

 

“I had been travelling the world for centuries, searching for the other half of myself,” Tatya said, laughing at the way he almost spat his drink out. She reached up and patted the corner of his lips with her handkerchief, letting her finger linger a little longer than was polite before continuing. “I returned to my home on Mount Beshtau, empty of hand and heart. You have seen my warlock mark, yes?” she asked, gesturing to her hair, which she had for once left unglamoured. It usually attracted too much notice and she had been called a witch more than a few times in her life because of it, and some less pleasant names that she didn’t care too much for, demon, succubus, hellspawn to name but a few but she felt a rare comfortability with Sebastian that she never really felt with anyone else, as though she didn’t have to hide any part of herself.

 

“I have a... peculiar… affinity for the weather” she said, a small depreciating smile gracing her lips. “It is not my fault! I can’t help it if the weather is attuned to my emotions. When I am sad, it snows. When I am angry, the thunderclouds draw in. Whatever emotion I feel, the weather follows suit. Anger, frustration, sadness, despair. Rain, sleet, snow, hail. It comes on in a cacophony that I can barely control. The warlock council came and told me I had to leave, permanently, because of the snow” she said, listening to the hailstorm that had started to descend upon England as her despair crashed through her, she knew it would be affecting the entire country.

 

“They made you leave your homeland, because of a little bit of snow?” Sebastian asked incredulously, staring at his mate as she fought to control the emotions that rolled across her face. He understood her anguish, to an immortal, home was the only constant in an ever-changing world. With every passing decade, the mundanes invented more and more contraptions to make life easier, the march forward was unstoppable. So to someone who lived forever, the place you lay your hat was the one surety you had that some things would never change. He reached out and squeezed her hand, keeping it tightly in his grasp as he continued. ”I must admit, I have never spent much time in Russia but isn’t snow a given there? It always snows in Russia, doesn't it?” he asked gently, he didn’t want to upset her but he was pretty sure the snow came with the territory.

 

“It was not always the case but yes, it always snows in Russia now, because of me,” Tatya said, glancing down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. “I returned to my home in the mountains, locking myself away from the rest of the world 100 years ago, after yet another failed attempt to find you, vowing never to look again, my heart could not bear the disappointment. It has snowed on Russia every day for the last 100 years. It seems they finally had enough. Our representative for the council petitioned the rest of them to banish me from my home so that Russia may once again prosper and they agreed. They gave me two choices, leave Russia and never return or spend the rest of my days in the spiral labyrinth” she said as she stared at her feet. 

 

“100 years? You’ve been in the mountains on your own for 100 years?” Sebastian asked, staring at her. He wanted to pull her to his body again, to wrap her up in his arms and never let go.

 

“Luchik, I have been alone for 800 years, those 100 felt like one day and an entire lifetime to me,” Tatya said, cupping her hand to his face. She brushed her thumb over his cheekbone when a tear gathered in the corner of his eye and threatened to fall. “I have had friends and lovers, acquaintances and even what I thought at the time was love once. But I have only ever truly had myself. I looked for you many times, for too many centuries to count. Maybe the council did me a favour” she whispered. Slipping into his embrace felt as natural as breathing to her, this man was made for her just as she was made for him.

 

Sebastian held her close, pulling her onto his lap when it wasn’t close enough, forgetting all about propriety. The clothes and the letter made sense to him now. She had locked herself away from society, given up on the possibility that she could have a future with a mate. He had never thought, in his 200 years, to go in search of his mate, believing he or she would turn up when they were ready, something he now deeply regretted. He could have saved her a lot of heartache over the last 200 years if he had. How she had lived these last 100 years alone he had no idea but he knew one thing, she would never spend another day of her life alone!

 

“I am so sorry, Tatya, if I had known you were out there looking for me, I would have come and found you,” Sebastian said, tilting his head so she could snuggle her head into his neck. He stroked the tips of his fingers down the back of the rustling material of her dress, wanting to comfort her. “For what it's worth, I think the council did us both a favour. I can’t promise that life in England will be as it was in Russia but I promise to dedicate my life to making you as happy as I possibly can. Maybe one day we can convince the council to lift your banishment” he whispered.

 

“I doubt they would do that now,” Tatya said, pressing her nose to her Alpha’s scent glands and inhaling deeply, marvelling at the way he smelt like the home she had always thought her cabin in the forested slopes of her mountain had been. “I threw a tantrum before I left and might have done something that I can’t take back,” she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

 

“What did you do?” Sebastian asked, grinning when he felt the shake of her body from her repressed laughter, it was doing interesting things to his own body. He fought his body’s reaction down to tug her face out from beneath his chin, so he could look into her eyes, seeing them sparkling with mischief.

 

“I cursed the whole country,” Tatya said, letting her laughter out in a burst. “It will now forever snow on Russia, they should have let me stay,” she said, laughing harder when Sebastian joined in, a look of delight on his features.

 

“I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Tatyanna Vasiliev” Sebastian said with a wink, howling with laughter at the thought of the council members faces when they realised they had made a monumental mistake in pissing his mate off. He found he couldn’t even be angry with them, if they hadn’t banished her, she might have spent another 100 years alone in her home. “Where are your things?” he asked, looking around for her possessions.

 

“I must have dropped them when I crashed through the portal,” Tatya said, realising that her trunks were not in the room with them, wherever that was. She stood up when he nudged her off his lap and followed him through the door into a dark… Some Sort of tavern? A pub? She wondered. She kept tight hold of his hand as he led her through a set of doors onto a busy street, packed with mundanes. She stared at the monstrosities travelling down the road, ferrying groups of people around before he tugged her down the street, telling her they were called motor cars when he saw where her focus lay. Whatever happened to horse-drawn carriages? She wondered.

 

“Along with my duties as High warlock, I own this club. It is a haven for downworlders” Sebastian said as he led her back around the corner to find the alleyway empty. “Did you put an extra strong glamour on your bags?” he asked when he couldn’t see her things. The look on her face said everything. “There’s a tea leaf around every corner in London. A thief” he clarified when she looked at him in confusion. “We will just have to take you shopping, for new clothes. Was there anything valuable in with your things?” he asked.

 

“No, it was just clothes, I like to keep my valuables close,” she said, indicating the necklace, rings, bracelets and brooches she was wearing along with a few other baubles she had concealed in her dress. They were extremely valuable, her entire fortune resting on her body, it was substantial but the only things of value she owned. “Although, I did like those gowns,” she said wistfully as he led her back around the corner and back into his club. She eyed the clothes the mundanes were wearing. “Do they always show so much ankle?” she whispered, staring at the skirts and blouses the women were wearing, she thought she was being risque with her exposed arms! It had been a while since she had had to consider fashion.

 

“Some of them show a lot more than their ankles,” Sebastian said, laughing when he saw the surprised look on her face, shopping was going to be fun! He grabbed a bottle of champagne on their way through the bar and towed her back to his office, grinning when his mate conjured them a couple of glasses. He slumped back onto the couch, smiling widely when she sat back down on his lap instead of the seat next to him.

 

“Sebastian, there is something we need to talk about,” Tatya said, clinking her glass with his when he raised it. She swallowed the entire glass in one mouthful, pouring another one for courage and downing that too before she spoke again, shaking her head at the astonished grin on his face as he watched her sink the alcohol. “We are mates, our mating…”

 

“Tatya, we can go at your pace, I would never expect you to do something you aren’t comfortable with,” Sebastian said, cringing at the thought that maybe she expected him to clunk her around the head and drag her back to his cave. “We can wait as long as you want. I will never force you” he said, brushing the back of his fingers up the beautiful high cheekbones of her face, trying to convey the truth of his words.

 

Tatya sent their glasses away with a wave of her hand and took his face in her hands, searching every inch of it. She saw the honest, reassuring look on his face and felt a fluttering in her stomach, or maybe a little bit lower! She bent her head, giving him a chance to back away before pressing her lips to his. She had wanted to kiss them since the second she had scented him and the fact that he was willing to wait for her only made her want it more.

 

Sebastian sank into the kiss with ease, marvelling at the feel of her lips against his. He brushed his hands up and down her back, needing to ground himself from the shocks running through him at the meeting of their lips. He opened up when he felt her tongue seek entrance, content to let her set the pace. He couldn’t help his deep breathing as she invaded his mouth, she was breathtaking. He groaned when her hands slid into his hair, pulling him closer.

 

“You make me forget myself, Luchik,” Tatya said with a chuckle, pressing her forehead against his as she fought to recapture her breath when they broke apart. She grinned, she wasn’t the only one struggling to draw breath.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…oooft” Sebastian cut off when she claimed his lips again. He grinned into it, his worry from a moment before forgotten. He was the one to invade her mouth this time, his fears forgotten as she tugged his head back by his hair. She was exquisite! Giving as good as she got, this woman was made for him.

 

“I was… going to… say…” Tatya said breathlessly as she tilted her head back, letting him explore her jaw and neck. “That I had waited long enough... I don’t know...is it improper, for a modern lady to be this forward? I don’t know what it is like these days... ah… but i.... Have searched too long…” she trailed off when she felt his teeth scrape at her neck, her eyes rolling back at the sensation. She had had lovers in the past and was no virgin, 800 years was a long time. She didn’t know if he expected her to wait, English men had been too uptight when she was last here, would her mate think her a whore?

 

“Tatya, if you are uncomfortable, we don’t have to go any further, we can wait,” Sebastian said, pulling back when he heard the unsure tone in her voice. “I wouldn’t want you to mate me because you feel like it is what I want or that I expect it of you. When we mate, I want it to be because it is something we both want” he said, looking her in the eye so that she knew he was speaking the truth. He was no stranger to sex, hell, he was no stranger to orgies that lasted days at a time but he also knew how to wait, he wasn’t an uncontrollable beast!

 

“That’s just the thing, I do want to. It’s not that I feel uncomfortable,” Tatya said, staring down at her hands in her lap. “It has been a long time since I have spent any time in society, I don’t know what is expected of women these days, what you expect of me. As I said before, I have had lovers in the past. Usually, I wait a little longer before I take a man to my bed but, It is strange, we have only just met but I feel like you are mine and I am yours, like you are my home and that this is the most natural thing in the world, but women are held to a certain standard. I am not sure how to reconcile the two” she said, shaking her head in frustration.

 

“You should know what kind of man I am, Tatya,” Sebastian said, taking a deep breath. “I have never been ashamed of who I am, I had been alive a long time and have enjoyed many lovers. I have been with men and women before, I learned a long time ago the art of pleasure and I do not take any notice of what others think of me or my actions. If there is one thing I have learned in my 200 years it is that even an immortal life is too short to sit on the sidelines and let life pass you by. 

 

“Please don’t think for a moment that I would judge you because you have taken opportunities to enjoy yourself in the past or that you would readily do so again, a life with no pleasure is no life at all. Society is too stuffy in my opinion, what a person chooses to do with their body is nobody else's concern. If you told me you had taken multiple lovers at the same time, I could not judge you for it nor would I want to” he said, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth at the look on her face.

 

“You could not judge me, because of your own past experience?” Tatya asked, breathing a sigh of relief that her mate seemed to be a little more liberal than his countrymen had been last time she was in the city. She saw the nod he gave her, forcing a grin onto her face at the suggestion that he himself had taken multiple lovers. She almost asked how many ‘multiple’ meant before dismissing the question, not quite sure she wanted to know the answer. “So you would not think me a whore, for taking you to bed straight away?” she asked.

 

“Absolutely not! I hate the word whore, it is a term used by those who are too socially and sexually repressed to take the pleasure they so desperately crave in life” Sebastian said with a roll of his eyes. “Those who wish to have a healthy sex life but are too worried of what others would think of them use it as a way to judge others whilst hiding themselves away from what they want, too afraid to take it” he said with a sad shake of his head, trying and failing to imagine a life with no pleasure in it. The thought almost had him shuddering. His attention snapped back to his mate when she let out a hearty laugh that was captivating.

 

“You look horrified at the thought,” Tatya said, laughing at the confused, sad look that had crossed his face at his statement. “I think that I may have misjudged you, Sebastian. I have met too many men, mundane and downworlder alike that believe that a woman is merely there to make the children and keep the house. When I sent you that fire message, I was picturing an uptight… well, someone who thought a woman should come grovelling on her hands and knees. I was fully prepared to throw myself on your mercy and beg for your leave to live in your city” she said, laughing at the mischievous look on his face.

 

“Feel free to throw yourself on my mercy anytime you like,” Sebastian said with a wink, wiggling his eyebrows when she let out a full on belly laugh. She was stunning when she laughed, throwing her head back and letting it erupt from her. He hoped for many more opportunities to see such a carefree gesture. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her closer, inhaling her beautiful scent. He grinned when she bit her lip, staring down at him before obviously making a decision. He tilted his head back when she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging at it to get better access to his lips.

 

Tatya pressed her lips to her mate’s, testing the waters before deepening it, breathing hard when she felt his thumb brushing circles into her rib cage. She was starting to wish she wasn’t wearing so many clothes. She couldn’t help the small moan escaping her when his hands tightened around her and he took her bottom lip into his mouth, biting down on it slightly. She jumped when she heard a door slam somewhere else in the building, wincing slightly when his teeth scraped along her bottom lip.

 

“It’s okay, that will be Roger,” Sebastian said when he tugged his pocket watch, a keepsake from a bygone era, out and saw the time. He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip when he saw the redness there, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before pulling back. “He runs the bar for me when I have other duties to attend to. Would you like to meet him?” he asked.

 

“Sure,” Tatya said, not really sure if she did want to meet him. She had spent many years alone and it had made her shy around strangers. She marvelled at the mate bond, at how she hadn’t felt the need to put her guard up around Sebastian. She had felt immediately at ease around him. She stood up and let him up off the couch, unable to stop her eyes darting down when he stood awkwardly and adjusted himself, looking for all the world like he hoped she wouldn’t notice, she did! She grinned at him. She hadn’t been able to feel anything through the many layers of skirts and material and underwear she was vested in but the evidence was right there in front of her.

 

“Come on” Sebastian said with a shake of his head when he saw the grin on her face, it wasn’t as though he could help it, that’s what happens when you have an immensely beautiful woman or man  for that matter, sat in your lap, kissing you like you were the only supplier of air in the room. He took her hand and tugged her into the bar to meet his barman. “Roger, this is my mate, Tatyanna Vasiliev, Tatya, this is Roger Smith,” he said, introducing the two. 

 

“Miss Vasiliev, it is so nice to meet you!” Roger said, dashing forward to take her hand. He brushed his lips across her knuckles and gave her a small bow, taking in the gown she was wearing. “You are obviously an old-fashioned kind of woman of exquisite taste, so how did you end up mated to him?” he asked, jerking his thumb in Sebastian’s direction when he rose from his bow, grinning at the affronted look on his friend’s face. He used his speed to good effect when Sebastian aimed a playful kick at him. “Vampire beats warlock,” he said with a laugh.

 

“I kind of fell through his wall,” Tatya said, cursing the shyness that always took over her when she met new people. She liked the vampire immediately, he had the same roguish playfulness as her mate, they obviously had an easy friendship. “Do you have a mate?” she asked, pushing herself to engage with the man.

 

“No, not yet sadly,” Roger said wistfully. “Hopefully one day. It is my greatest wish that she will be as lovely as you, madame, for then I could die again a happy man, I should count myself very lucky indeed” he said with a wink, grinning when she blushed and Sebastian growled at him.

 

“Get out of here, you boorish brute, you are embarrassing my mate,” Sebastian said, aiming a second kick at his friend. He watched his mate, twisting her hands together as her cheeks flamed red, she looked as though she were forcing herself to stand there. “Are you okay? He wouldn’t harm you, he is house trained” he said, trying to lift her mood back up.

 

“Yes, it is not him, it is me. I suspect I may have spent too long on my own” Tatya said, smiling gratefully into his chest when he wrapped his arms around her. “I am fine once I get to know someone, it’s just that, when I first meet people, it takes me a moment to get used to them,” she said, feeling completely and utterly defunct.

 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Sebastian asked, smiling when she nodded, maybe a little quicker than she had meant to. “Roger, will you be okay taking charge tonight? I need to show my mate her new home” he called across the room, seeing Roger darting about to set the bar up for tonight's patrons. He slipped his friend a grateful smile when he just nodded and continued with the task of pulling stools down off tables. “Are you ready?” he asked, taking Tatya’s hand when she nodded. He waved his arm and created a portal for them, leading her through to his… their country house in Sussex. “I live here most of the time, preferring the quiet life to the fast pace of London. It is no great mansion but I hope you will like it” he said when he saw her looking around wide-eyed at the spacious hallway they had arrived at. “If you don’t, we can find something else,” he said quickly when she didn’t speak.

 

Tatya stared around not quite knowing what to make of the place. Her cabin had been bigger than this, there were two doors, which she assumed were the front and back doors and the only furniture was a console table with a vase on it and a coat stand. “Where do you sit and sleep?” she asked, opening the front door to see a beautiful… she would have thought it a garden but it seemed to stretch out for miles. The flowers were wonderful and she could see a small stream in the distance. It was secluded and she could see a forest not far from his… their home. She hoped it would be like the woods of her beloved mountain. At least there was plenty of room outside.

 

“Well, I like to sit in my sitting room and sleep in my bedroom,” Sebastian said, his confusion evident in his tone as he watched her close the front door. “Wait, do you think that this is it? This one room?” he asked, gesturing around the hallway. He tried not to laugh when she simply nodded. What must her home be like, a one-roomed shack? He wondered to himself. “What is your home like?” he asked curiously.

 

“It is a lot larger than this,” she said apologetically as she looked around again. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful but she wasn’t quite sure how they were both going to live in this room. “It is built of wood, in a clearing on my mountain. I also had furniture. A bed in one corner, a couch, and a small table. I did all my cooking outside and there was a stream for washing” she said a little sadly. “It was my home for 700 years.”

 

Shit, she did live in a one-roomed shack, Sebastian thought to himself, not daring to say the words aloud, she obviously missed the place if her sad tone was anything to go by. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, shaking his head, she thought they were going to live in his hallway. “Come on, I’ll show you around,” he said, taking her hand and trying not to laugh when she stared around the hallway with an incredulous expression on her face. He pulled her across the hall and opened the living room door, tugging her after him.

 

Tatya’s eyes went wide when her mate pulled her into another room, it was huge! There was a large fireplace with bookcases on either side of it, wooden beams on the ceiling and a big couch. She jumped when he pressed something on the wall and a light shone above their heads. She hadn't seen him performing magic, how had he done it?

 

“Of course, I’m guessing you wouldn’t have had electricity in your home?” Sebastian asked when she looked at him suspiciously. He laughed at the look on her face, he was going to have fun dragging her into the 20th century. He pulled her through the house, the kitchen, the dining room, the second sitting room, watching her stare silently around. He almost cracked when he showed her the indoor toilet, her eyes lighting up before he pulled her up the stairs, showing her the three bedrooms and second bathroom. She did crack when she saw the bathtub, shaking his arm and exclaiming about not having to wash in a freezing stream. He knew the second bathroom was a bit extravagant, seeing as most homes in England still had outhouses but he was a warlock and he was accustomed to a certain lifestyle, one that didn’t involve traipsing down the stairs and into the garden in the middle of the night to use the toilet.

 

“Your home is… beautiful” Tatya said, sinking onto the bed in what he called the master bedroom. Master bedroom! He had three rooms only for sleeping in. Her own cabin had started looking woefully inadequate after she had seen the kitchen. A kitchen! She was overwhelmed, he must think her a primitive savage. “I see I have a lot to learn about the modern world!” she said, shaking her head, that seemed to be an understatement. She was starting to wish she hadn’t locked herself away for so long.

 

“Things have advanced a lot over the last 100 years,” Sebastian said, sitting down next to her and taking her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I will help you get used to it, there is a lot to show you. I hope you will grow to love this home, Tatya, that you will be happy here” he said, bringing their hands up and brushing his lips across her knuckles.

 

“It is beautiful, I am sure I will love it” Tatya rushed to reassure him when she heard the uncertainty in his voice. “I wasn’t expecting so much, it is overwhelming, in a good way,” she said with a smile. She couldn’t help but smile at how sweet he was when his worried expression turned to one of relief. “Thank you, Sebastian, for taking me into your home,” she said, nodding her head as she looked around his bedroom again.

 

“It is your home now, ours,” Sebastian said, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand. His heart leapt when she looked up at him through her lashes, that breathtaking smile breaking out over her face again. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, smiling when she leaned into the touch. He brought her head up, moving slowly so she knew his intent. He wanted to devour her when their lips met but held himself back, not wanting to rush her or scare her away. He grinned into it when she wasn’t so gentle with him, wrapping her arms around his neck and diving straight into it with gusto.

 

Tatya giggled when Sebastian’s surprise turned to joy. It was strange, they had only met hours before but his arms snaking around her waist, his lips against hers, the way he pulled her onto his lap felt so right, so natural that she almost questioned it. Almost. She found she didn’t want to stop his hands when they moved to the buttons on the back of her dress. She broke the kiss, breathing hard when his hands paused, staring into his eyes and seeing the question there. She nodded frantically, suddenly feeling too hot in the layers she wore. She moved to claim his lips once more when he didn’t make a move before he pushed her back.

 

Sebastian rose and set his mate on her feet when he saw her confusion. He sank to one knee, taking her hand in his, wanting to do this properly, he had to know that this was what she wanted before they took it any further. “Tatyanna Alexandra Vasiliev, will you do me the extraordinary honour of consenting to be my mate, will you complete the soul exchange with me and spend the rest of your life at my side as I wish to spend mine at yours?” he asked as he looked up at her.

 

“The honour would be mine, Sebastian Verlac” Tatya said, her stomach clenching at the gesture he had made. He could have continued to remove her clothing, to make love to her and she would have let him. She cupped his face when a huge grin broke out across his features, almost toppling over when he threw his arms around her and pulled her to his body. She ran her fingers through his hair as she stared down at him, how had she gotten so lucky to have him for a mate? She found in that moment that she could no longer be angry with the warlock council, they had hand delivered her to her new mate and while she would always miss Russia, she knew that she could be happy here. She saw their future unfold before her eyes and it was beautiful!

 

Sebastian acquiesced when his mate tugged him up, taking her in his arms and lifting her clean off her feet, crashing their lips together. To say that the future he saw laid out before him was tantalising was an understatement, it was everything he never knew he was missing. Why had he not looked for her earlier? He wondered to himself as he set her back down on her feet. He didn’t hesitate this time when his fingers wandered down to the pearl buttons on the back of her dress.

 

“You know I have magic to remove my clothing, don't you?” Tatya asked when she felt his fingers at her buttons once more. She watched his eyes darting over her body, holding back a sigh of relief. She had accepted that she would never be a twiglet centuries ago and was comfortable with her body but it was still nice to see the appreciative gleam in his eye as he looked her over, she had given more than one lover the boot when they had commented on her body, expecting her to change for them. She raised her hand to click her fingers when he grabbed her wrist and spun her on the spot, pulling the back of her body flush with the front of his. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

 

“You could use your magic, but where would be the fun in that?” Sebastian asked before he pressed his lips to the junction of her neck and shoulder, placing soft kisses there before he grazed his teeth over the smooth skin. “Peeling a fine dress off a ladies body is like unwrapping a gift, especially one like this. The anticipation only adds to the excitement” he said, laughing when he heard her giggle. He couldn't stop himself from pressing a kiss to the back of her neck with every button his nimble fingers opened, relishing the task at hand, it had been a long time since he had had the opportunity to divest a lady of a dress like this.

 

“I think you are enjoying yourself entirely too much, Mr Verlac” Tatya murmured as her chin fell onto her chest, the words coming out a little more breathlessly than she had intended. The kisses her mate was pressing to the back of her neck were sending jolts of pleasure skittering down her spine, she could already feel the wetness pooling between her legs, making her clench her thighs together. All he was doing was unbuttoning her dress and she was already panting, he had been right, the anticipation was breathtaking.

 

“Oh, you have no idea how much I am enjoying myself, Miss Vasiliev” Sebastian murmured as he undid the last button, just below the swell of her arse. He pressed his entire body to the back of hers as he slid the straps of the dress down her arms, following the path of the left strap with his lips before he shimmied the entire thing up her body and over her head with his magic. He tossed the dress aside when he got it over her head. It was a shame to treat such a fine garment so poorly but it was in his way. He grazed his teeth against her neck, over her scent glands, his own breath catching as his heart rate spiked. He could already feel his dick twitching in his pants.

 

Tatya raised her arms and wrapped them around the back of her mate's neck, shuddering as he ran his hands down her sides and grabbed her hips, gasping when he swayed them against his pelvis. She realised how big he was when she felt how the anticipation was affecting him through the bustle and numerous petticoats she was still wearing, the feeling of his length pressing against her backside was exquisite!

 

Sebastian ran his hand back up the tight corset she was wearing, pulling her right arm tighter around his neck so he could trail kisses over her shoulder and up her arm. The way she arched her back so that she could press her arse against his dick again threatened to distract him from his task, she gave just as good as she got. He liked a woman who knew what she wanted in bed. He pressed his free hand to the bottom of her stomach, pressing her closer to show her just how much she was affecting him.

 

“It is nice to know that I am not the only one affected by the… anticipation. I think I am still a little overdressed, Luchik” Tatya murmured, swaying her hips once more. She would dearly love for her mate to move his hand a little lower but the material she was still wearing was in the way.

 

“So impatient,” Sebastian said with a chuckle. He released his hold on her and took hold of the strings tied around her waist, tugging at the knots to release the hooped skirts, heavy pockets and petticoats she was wearing, lifting them over the bustle she had on underneath and letting them go. He grinned when the material fell down her body in an instant, floating to the ground in a cloud of white cotton to pool around her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her clear of the skirts, kicking them out of the way before he set her back on her feet. “How about now? Are you still overdressed?” he whispered in her ear, grinning when she shuddered as his breath ran down her neck.

 

“Perhaps, let me see,” Tatya said, brushing against his hips once more. Her eyes widened when she felt his dick dig into her backside. He was as hard as a rock and she could feel it twitching in his trousers. “I think I still have too many layers on,” she said breathlessly. She wasn’t sure how much more ‘anticipation’ she could take, she had to clench her thighs together once more when she felt his hands run up and down her hips.

 

“Maybe I should do something about that?” Sebastian said, chuckling into her neck as he kissed his mate once more, barely able to drag his lips away from her skin. He couldn't stop his tongue from darting out to lick over her scent glands. His hips bucked forward when she let out a moan that was entirely unladylike, it was downright filthy! He reached around the front of her body to undo the strings on her bustle as he continued to taste her neck, pulling it from around her waist and chucking it over his shoulder with a triumphant grin, to land in the piles of skirts around them. He took a step back to admire her, grinning when she turned on the spot to look at him.

 

“Do you like what you see?” Tatya asked when she saw the expression on her mates face. His pupils were completely blown, a look on his face like that of a starving man. She turned on the spot, swaying her hips to give him a view from every angle.

 

Sebastian watched his mate with glowing eyes. He had forgotten how much he liked 19th-century underwear. The tight corset pushed her breasts up and nipped her waist in and the pantaloons she had tucked into her knee-high boots did nothing to hide how wide her hips were. The underwear covered all the naughty bits up while still leaving enough on show to force one into using their imagination. He had a vivid imagination! “Very much so, but I think you still have far too many layers on, Tatya” he said, pulling her to a stop and sinking to his knees in front of her. 

 

Tatya watched as her mate started to unlace her boots, setting a torturous pace. She was tempted to click her fingers and finish removing her underwear with her magic but the excitement on his face stopped her, he looked like he was truly enjoying himself so she let him pull her boots off one by one, laughing when he threw them aside.

 

Sebastian looked up at his mate when he had her boots off, silently asking her permission when his hands lingered at the strings that held her pantaloons up. He winked at her when she bit her lip, nodding down at him. He undid the string, letting the loose material fall. He let out a groan when they hit the floor, leaving her standing in just her corset and stockings. His eyes inspected every inch of her pear-shaped frame before he pressed his lips to her thick thigh, just above the top of her stocking garters, the sight of her body without all of the concealing material took his breath away.

 

Tatya tied to draw air into her lungs when Sebastian ran his hands up the back of her legs to cup her backside, her breathless gasps turning to moans when he started trailing kisses up her left thigh and down the right one, teasing her as he moved closer to pussy, never quite touching her there. She felt her hips buck of their own accord when she felt his breath float over her inner thighs. “Don’t tease, Sebastian!” she said, running her hands into his hair to tug his head to where she wanted it.

 

Sebastian was only too happy to follow her lead, she certainly wasn’t shy in the bedroom. He buried his nose in her damp curls and inhaled deeply before pulling back for a moment to look at the beautiful blush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck. "you smell divine” he said with a rakish grin, enjoying the way the blush spread down her chest. “What an exquisite creature you are, Tatyanna Vasiliev” he murmured before he licked a stripe up the inside of her right thigh, pulling her knees apart to get better access.

 

“And you sir, are a rogue… oh god,” Tatya moaned when his tongue continued on its path, flattening to lick a stripe up the seam of her pussy. She threw her head back when he gripped the backs of her thighs tighter and swirled his tongue around her clit with the barest amount of pressure before licking back down again. She clenched her thighs when he repeated the motion, applying more pressure this time.

 

“Let yourself feel it, tatyanna” Sebastian whispered against her pussy, letting his breath blow over her clit as he pulled her thighs further apart, grinning when he saw the wetness on her inner thighs. He didn’t know what he liked more, the sound of her small moans or the taste of her on his tongue. He circled her clit once, twice, three times before sucking the small nub between his teeth, grazing it with the lightest pressure he could apply.

 

“Sebastian!” Tatya cried out, gripping his hair tighter as her legs began to shake. She gasped for breath when he pulled back, looking up at her with a question in his eyes. She nodded frantically when he brushed a hand up the inside of her thighs. “Fuck!” she choked out when he rubbed the pad of his finger over her clit, uncaring if he thought the word vulgar.

 

“I love when a lady uses profanity in the bedroom” Sebastian chuckled. He continued to rub the little hood over her clit in lazy circles, listening to the breathless moans and small gasps she let out before he brushed it back and pressed his finger down over the sensitive flesh of her clit, scraping his short fingernail over it and giving his hand a quick shake for good measure. He eased off when her legs started to shake again, moving his hand lower and sinking a finger between her folds. He licked directly over her clit as he sank his middle finger into her body, his breath stuttering against her when he felt how wet and tight she was. Fuck! He sank in down to the last knuckle and curled his finger, continuing to circle her clit as he did it, knowing the combined pressure of his tongue and his finger brushing that sweet spot inside her would drive her crazy.

 

Tatya cried out when he brushed at the bundle of nerves inside of her, thanking Lilith that he knew about that spot. She had had to show more than one lover how to please her, Sebastian, however, needed no such guidance. She pulled his head closer as he started alternating between circling her clit and licking directly over it, even as his finger continued to work its… ”fuck, Sebastian… I…” she muttered between breaths when she felt him starting to pulse his magic into the sweet spot inside her, pushing her closer to the edge by the second.

 

Sebastian grinned as he pulled back wanting to watch her. He thought he had died and gone to heaven when he saw the intense pleasure on her face. The way her eyes rolled back in her head and she moaned every time he curled his finger inside her was mesmerising, his grin grew wider as he ramped up the intensity of the bursts of magic he let loose every time he did it. He let out his own moan when her hand tightened in his hair. He leaned forward and sucked on her clit again, harder than before, he wanted to hear her come apart.

 

“Fuck… Sebastian, I… I’m so…” Tatya ended her sentence on a scream when her stomach clenched and her orgasm erupted through her. Her world faded to white when her eyes rolled right back into her head, all sounds but the long drawn out moans that clawed their way out of her throat fading as she came on his tongue. She gripped his head when he held her up with one arm around her hips as her knees buckled. He kept curling his finger inside her, his tongue continuing to apply pressure to her clit to drag her climax out, the sensations making her fingers and toes curl as they shot out to her extremities. She shuddered as the last waves of it rolled through her, gasping with each aftershock that shot through her.

 

Sebastian pulled back when she whimpered, the shaking of her thighs indicating that the pressure on her overstimulated clit was too much. He was breathing almost as hard as she was as he watched her chest heave, watched her fight to get her breath back.

 

“Too tight” was all Tatyanna managed to utter, her hands pulling at the ribbons that held her white satin corset together before she remembered she had magic. She clicked her fingers, removing it in an instant before she managed to pull some much-needed air into her burning lungs. She stared up at him when she collapsed into his arms, he had made her come with one finger and a few flicks of his tongue. “I think you are a man of many talents, Mr Verlac” she muttered breathlessly as she stared into his eyes. She got to her shaking knees and straddled his thighs, pulling his head back by his hair and claiming his lips, unable to stop the moan that escaped her when he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened it, she could taste herself on his tongue.

 

Sebastian kissed his mate deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth when she granted him entrance in an instant. The sound of her moan was music to his ears, he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing a handful of her arse when she ground down on his cock, he was already leaking and the friction of her grinding the material of his pants into his dick was phenomenal. He broke from her mouth to trail his lips down her neck and chest, taking one of her heavy breasts in hand and brushing his thumb over her dark nipple before sucking it into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth and tongue before releasing it with a pop. He blew a mouthful of air against her wet skin, watching with fascination as it hardened before his eyes. “Whoever said more than a handful is a waste, is an idiot,” he said with a grin, moving to show her other nipple the same attention.

 

“You have a wicked tongue, Luchik. I like it” Tatyanna murmured, her heart rate spiking as the sensation of him sucking on her nipple pooled in her lower stomach. She pulled back and looked down at him, seeing how little of his bright blue irises was left around his dilated pupils. It had her wet again in an instant. She rose to her feet, pulling him up with her before she dragged him to the bed and pushed him down onto it. “I seem to be naked and you seem to be wearing far too many clothes in my opinion,” she said, laughing when he looked her over once more. She clicked her fingers, removing his waistcoat, shirt and tie in an instant, another click and his vest, trousers and long johns were gone, she wasn’t as patient as he was. Her eyes ran over his entire body, stretched lazily on the bed, she thought it might be a tad impolite to rub her hands together and whoop with glee, he was stunning with his tanned skin, smooth chest and hard abdominal muscles. Not to mention his huge dick.

 

Sebastian grinned up at his mate when she removed his clothes, watching her eyes take every inch of him in. he laughed when her eyes slid over his abs and zeroed in on his cock, the way her tongue flicked out and her chest heaved had him shuddering and his dick jumping as he imagined what it would feel like to have that tongue wrapped around his dick. He didn’t have to wonder long as she sank to her knees. He levered himself up onto his elbows and planted his feet flat on the floor to watch her as she took his dick into her hand. He wanted to close his eyes when she started to move, fisting his dick with strong assured movements, the pressure perfect.

 

Tatya grinned when she saw her mates eyes flutter closed momentarily, his breath huffing out in a gasp. She kept the pressure of her hand light enough not to squeeze the life out of him but hard enough that he could feel it. She watched his eyes spring open again when she brushed a thumb over the slit at the head of his cock, staring him right in the eye when she loosened her grip and licked up the underside of it. She slid his foreskin back and sucked the tip of his dick into her mouth, circling the head  with her tongue before she released him. She smiled as she blew cool air on the exposed sensitive head, the sound of his deep moan was beautiful!

 

“I see... I’m not the only... one with a wicked... Tongue” Sebastian growled out breathlessly when she took his straining dick back into her mouth and plunged down suddenly, stealing his breath once more. He couldn’t help the grin of pride that spread over his face when she had to wrap her hand around his remaining length when she couldn’t fit all of him in her mouth, he was only a man after all. His head fell back, his neck losing the strength to hold it up when she started to bob up and down on his cock, her hand following her lips to encapsulate his entire length. He thrust his hips when he heard her gag with each drop of her head.

 

Tatya released his cock for a moment to get her breath back, continuing the movement of her hands to watch him. She met his eyes when he lifted his head, giving him a wink before she went back for seconds. She tightened her grip slightly as she took him back into her mouth, knowing the extra pressure would pull his foreskin down each time she thrust her hand down. She forced her head down further, adjusting her throat to take him deeper, almost able to bury her nose in the curls at the base of his cock. She would have laughed when she felt his hand in her hair, tugging at her head slightly, if she didn’t have a mouthful of dick. She let a small chuckle escape her, knowing what the vibration of her vocal cords would do to him.

 

“Fuck, Tatya, if you keep doing that, I will end up coming down your throat” Sebastian muttered as he tugged at her hair slightly. His eyes almost crossed when she hollowed her cheeks and lightly grazed her teeth over his cock as she pulled up off him, the implied danger of her teeth against the sensitive skin of his cock only added to the pleasure.

 

Tatya clicked her fingers, removing the uncomfortable pins that held her hair up in an instant, they were digging into her head uncomfortably where his hands tugged at her hair. She sighed with relief when her curls fell down her back, brushing and tickling her backside. “Well, I can stop, if you really want me to” Tatya teased, bringing her spare hand down to massage his balls. “Or I can continue and swallow down every drop you give me, like a good little omega. I suddenly find myself very thirsty” she said with a wink, laughing when he groaned and slumped back onto the mattress of the bed. She watched him lean up again, seeing the indecision he warring his eyes. “Or I can climb onto this magnificent cock of yours and ride you until you are begging me for mercy” she offered, flicking her thumb over his slit once more. She bit her lip when her thumb brushed through a few beads of pearly pre-cum, spreading it over the head of his dick before she licked it off, he was delicious she thought with a chuckle.

 

Sebastian stared at the ends of her long white curls bouncing around her hips. He didn’t think twice when he reached down and tugged her to her feet. He shimmied back up the bed as she crawled over him, leaning back into the mound of pillows he kept on his bed. “Do you think you have another one in you?” he asked, grabbing her hips as she straddled him and positioned his cock at the entrance of her pussy.

 

“That depends, my darling, on whether my Alpha is as skilled with his dick as he is with his mouth?” Tatya challenged her mate before she sank down onto his dick in one plunge, screaming as he stretched and filled her in one pain/pleasure filled thrust that took her breath away. She was dripping for him but his length and girth were a lot to take.

 

“Fuuuuck!” Sebastian moaned when she enveloped his cock with her warm, tight channel. The sound of her scream and the slap of her thighs meeting his almost had him exploding inside of her then and there. He wasn’t sure how long he would last inside of her, he was pretty sure the head of his cock hit the opening of her cervix.

 

“Holy mother of demons” Tatya muttered, halting her movements completely as she fought to get her breath. She pulled him upright by his chin to slam her lips to his, tugging his head back by his hair so she could invade his mouth, showing him how much she enjoyed being filled. She moaned into his mouth when he grabbed her arse and started to need her cheeks, giving back just as good as he got. She threw her head back when he released her mouth and pulled her left nipple into his mouth once more, sucking hard. It had her stomach clenching once more.

 

Sebastian groaned into his mate's skin when she rolled her hips. He wasn’t sure what he liked better, the feel of her ample arse in his hand, the taste of her nipple in his mouth or the way the muscles in her pussy squeezed his cock as they contracted around it. He fell back into the pillows when she rose on her knees and slammed down once more, throwing her head back to start up a steady rhythm. He watched in fascination as her tits bounced with each thrust down, unable to stop himself from brushing his fingers over the soft swell of her stomach. “You are a goddess, Tatyanna” he murmured, watching her take her pleasure from him as she rose and fell.

 

Tatya Leaned forward slightly, taking both of his hands in hers and entwined their fingers. She grinned down at him when he locked his arms to give her leverage so she could ride him at the perfect angle for his cock to scrape across her bundle of nerves each time she rocked her hips. She rose faster, slamming down on his cock with loud moans each time, losing herself in her mate.

 

Sebastian lost all of his self-control when her moans got louder with each roll of her hips. His own hips started to buck up, meeting her thrust for thrust. It wasn’t enough! He released her hands and grabbed her hips, rolling their bodies so he was on top.  The sight of her lying beneath him, her long white curls spread over his pillows, splaying around her head like a halo had a shiver running up his spine, she was beautiful! He was about to search her face, to make sure she was okay with him switching their positions when she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, digging her feet into his arse to drive him deeper into her, he was only too happy to oblige her. He untangled her legs and drew one up over his shoulder so he could bury himself deeper inside of her. 

 

“Oh god… that is fucking perfect” Tatya muttered, her voice coming out low and gravelly when her Alpha started pounding into her, she moaned when he leaned down even further, lifting her hips off the bed and ground into her pussy with a wild abandon that took her breath away. It had been a long time since she had had hot sweaty sex with a beautiful man, it was even better knowing that man was her mate! She used her other leg for leverage, meeting him thrust for thrust, even as her knee pressed into her chest, she grinned, thanking fate that she was limber enough to keep up with him. She cried out into his neck when he hit her spot again and again as he pistoned into her, knowing she was close. She almost cried out when his thumb found her clit again.

 

“You are so beautiful in your pleasure, Tatya. I am so close” Sebastian gasped out between deep, ragged breaths, almost grunting his pleasure out. As he pounded her pussy, applying more and more pressure to her clit. He could feel the delicious telltale signs of her impending orgasm as her pussy started to contract around his twitching cock and knew his own wouldn’t be far behind, he could already feel the ache in his balls, preparing to tighten in anticipation of his release. He removed his thumb and let her leg slide down his arm so he could drape himself over her body. He tilted his head to the side, willing her to mark him.

 

Tatya fastened onto the skin of her Alpha’s neck, sinking her teeth into his scent glands when her stomach clenched and another magnificent orgasm started to crash through her. She screamed into his neck, her pleasure mingling with his pain as she broke the skin and marked him as her mate, even as he continued to fuck into her with deep, prolonged thrusts that dragged her climax out. She released his neck and screamed her pleasure out, tilting her head to the side when she heard a deep growl erupt from his throat and felt his hips stutter into her.

 

Sebastian sank his teeth into his Omega’s exposed neck, breaking her skin and marking her as his own when his cock exploded deep inside of her, filling her up with spurt after spurt of his come. His hips continued to thrust through his orgasm as he grunted into her neck, slamming into her with a ferocity that almost overwhelmed them both. He released her neck and slumped down on top of her, covering her entire body with his as an overwhelming feeling of possessiveness flooded him, she was his.

 

Tatyanna fought to get her breathing under control as she wrapped her legs tightly around her mate's hips, pulling him tighter into herself. She wanted to feel every inch of his gorgeous toned body pressed against her, he was hers! She pouted when he pulled back slightly, pulling his softening cock from her body. Her grin returned when he moved lower and wrested his head on her chest, as content just to lay there as much as she was to let him.

 

“You are extraordinary, Tatyanna Vasiliev” Sebastian said, pressing his lips to the valley between her breasts, uncaring of the light sheen of sweat that covered her skin, his own body glistening with the same sheen. The feeling of her fingers brushing through his hair and over his back and shoulders was threatening to put him to sleep. He gently rolled her right nipple between his fingers as he settled into her soft belly, relishing the feeling of the softness of her entire body. He looked up to see her watching him with glowing eyes a beautiful, tired smile gracing her face. He lifted his head to meet hers when she tugged him up, kissing her slowly, soft sweet kisses that spoke of a burgeoning love that would come soon, as they got to know one another. 

 

He already knew she was his perfect match, she was mischievous and beautiful. She had the body of an angel and the mouth of a demon. She seemed to be witty, if a little shy around others but she know what she wanted in the bedroom and wasn’t afraid to ask for it, he liked that in a partner. He could see them falling for each other fast, pretty sure he was already starting his descent.

 

“As are you, Luchik,” Tatya said rolling a lock of his blonde hair between her fingers as she stared into his clear blue eyes. She knew she would fall head over heels for this man and relish every second of the tumble. He had the body of a Greek god and a mouth that could draw a blush from an ageing whore. It was deeper than that though, he was generous of spirit as well as in the bedroom, she hadn’t known many men that would immediately open their home to a stranger without question or many that took pleasure from seeing a woman get her own, twice! He was funny and playful and, if she had the measure of him correctly, a downright rogue. But the kindness he had shown her and the way he had taken her side when she explained her banishment spoke volumes about the man she was now mated to, she counted herself a very lucky woman indeed!

 

“Are you ready to complete our mating, Tatya? Will you exchange a part of your soul with mine, so that I may always keep a part of you with me?” Sebastian asked, uncaring of the hope in his tone. He grinned when a blinding smile broke out over her face.

 

“I Thought you would never ask, my darling” Tatya said. She rolled their bodies over in a sneak attack, flicking her long hair back with a toss of her head and pinned his muscular arms above his head, shuddering at the possibilities their positions had rolling through her wayward mind. She laughed when she saw the same thoughts displayed unashamedly on his face. “Behave, Mr Verlac or I should not be able to control myself” she murmured, capturing his lips in a swift, chaste kiss before she released his arms and sat up, still straddling his hips. She shook her head, grinding down slightly with a raised eyebrow when she felt his cock twitch back to life where it was buried between the folds of her pussy. She tried to tame the growl that erupted from her at the glorious friction of the tip of his cock brushing back the hood of her clit, this man was going to be the death of her! 

 

“Ha, who needs to behave now?” Sebastian said with a chuckle. He grabbed her hips and bucked his hips up, his eyes gleaming when he saw her pupils dilate at the friction and her breath stutter out in a wild staccato. He stopped his motion with a wink when she slapped his hands away from her hips with a shake of her head. “Are you ready?” he asked, grinning when she nodded. 

 

Sebastian placed his hand on his chest, watching her do the same, closing his eyes when she did. He reached down into himself, marvelling at how deep he plunged his awareness, he had never done this before and the feeling of his magic brushing against his soul was absolutely breathtaking. He stopped when he reached it, not even pausing before he extracted a small sliver of himself, more ready than he ever thought he would be to replace it with his mate’s. He gasped when he lifted it out of place, not expecting to feel so empty. His first instinct was to release it back into himself from the magical grip he held that piece of his soul in before he remembered what he was actually doing. He felt a peaceful feeling rush through him, knowing that a small piece of Tatyanna would soon inhabit that gaping spot inside himself.

 

Tatya gasped when she lifted the sliver of her soul from her body, feeling bereft as she held it in a magical grip in her hands. She had always wondered what it would be like, to remove that part of herself in preparation for the sliver her Alpha would give her but she hadn’t been prepared for the feelings of loneliness that had crashed through her, as though she were giving a vital part of herself up, a part that she had lived with for 8 centuries. She opened her eyes to see Sebastian staring up at her, seeing the emotions she was feeling rolling across his face. She beamed with happiness when she saw the white glow around his hand, the match of the one around her own. They nodded, she lowering her hand and him raising his in unison before she placed her hand against his chest and pushed. 

 

She almost lost her concentration when she felt him send the piece of his soul down into her body, it was beautiful! She truly got a sense of her mate when she felt it slot into place perfectly, filling the gap and then some with the very essence of who and what he was. She didn’t try to control the tears streaming down her face as the part of him that she would keep forever washed away the years and decades and centuries of loneliness she had endured while she waited for him. She knew in that moment that if she were faced with a choice of never having this or waiting another 800 years to feel it, those 16 centuries would be so worth the wait. She knew she would never have to face that loneliness, anger, sadness and despair ever again, not with him by her side. And that was the moment she fell completely and irrevocably in love with the man she had met less than 12 hours ago but would spend and eternity getting to know, she couldn’t wait!

 

Sebastian cried with relief when he felt Tatya start to sink the sliver of her soul that now belonged to him into his body. He felt as though he could see and feel every bright, shining molecule of the woman who had crashed into his wall, into his life and was now crashing soul first into his heart. In all of his years, all of the lovers and one night stands and passing flirtations, he had never felt an ounce of love for his partners. A certain amount of affection and respect, certainly, but the part of his mate she was slotting into his soul had their life unfolding before his eyes. The closeness he had always craved from another person, which he had used his body to chase, thinking that that was how he would find it, crashed into him in waves. Affection and respect paled in comparison to what she was filling him with. This woman was his equal in every way, his perfect match. It was like she had been fashioned from a part of his very essence, just for him. 

 

Sebastian found himself thinking of what Tatyanna meant to him as her soul melded with his, fitting closer than a perfectly matched piece of his puzzle. She would be everything to him, all he would ever need, she was his refuge, his sanctuary, she was the home he never realised he had spent his entire adult life looking for, in the arms of others. “There you are, you are what I have been searching for, all this time” he whispered incredulously, floored by the realisation as he stared up at her, seeing the peace that had filled him up mirrored on her own face. She was the epitome of everything he could have asked for of a mate, had he only asked himself what he would want from one. He reached up and cupped her face, brushing his thumb over the tracks of her tears, wanting to wipe even the tiniest memory of tears from her face. He pulled her down onto his chest and rolled them over, covering he body with his, content when she snuggled into his embrace and pulled the covers over them with a click of her fingers.

 

“I love you, Sebastian” Tatya murmured into his chest, pressing her lips to his smooth skin. She felt no worry saying the words aloud, how could they be wrong when she felt the truth of them in the very marrow of her bones?

 

“I love you too, my Tatyanna” Sebastian murmured into her mesmerising white hair, brushing his fingers through her long locks and smiling to himself as he felt the truth of the words pulse through him in waves. “We have a beautiful future ahead of us, love, did you see it?” he asked, tugging her head back to look into her gorgeous blue eyes.

 

“Every single day of it, Luchik. I saw all the happiness that I have waited so long for” she whispered. She saw the days they would spend side by side, the nights they would spend wrapped around each other, making love and maybe one day even a family. The thought brought her up short. As much as she would like children, she had spent so long looking for him, she knew it was selfish but she wanted to keep him for herself for a little while longer. “Sebastian, what are your thoughts on making a family?” she asked, a little trepidation sinking into her tone.

 

“You want to make one right now?” Sebastian asked with a chuckle, laughing when she rolled her eyes at him. He was imagining filling her with his seed, her walking around pregnant with his children. It was a beautiful picture, for the future. “To be honest, I never really thought about them before. It may be selfish, I know you have been alone for a long time but I find myself not wanting to share you, just for a little while longer, if that is okay with you?” he asked, worrying his lip as he watched her face. He sighed with relief when she smiled, he would have filled her with his seed and put a baby in her during her next heat, whenever that may be, if she had asked it of him but she seemed happy to wait.

 

“I do want children, in the future,” Tatya said, smiling when she saw the worry on his face blossom into a breathtaking smile. “How about we make a deal? Why don't we just enjoy each other for the next 100 years? We can make a family in the year 2028, what do you think?” she asked.

 

“Deal,” Sebastian said with a laugh. He rolled her onto her back, brushing his fingers over the swell of her stomach. “How about we practice putting one in here though? That way, we will know how to do it when the time comes” he whispered in her ear before taking the lobe between his lips. He healed the mating mark on her neck, beaming with pride at the sight of it before he mauled her neck, kissing the mating mark when she wrapped her legs around him, a beautiful giggle escaping her lips.

 

“You are insatiable, Sebastian Verlac. I am sure we could both use the practice” she said with a laugh, raising her hand and healing his mating mark before she sucked the hard ridges of scar tissue that had replaced her teeth marks. “I think I am going to have a lot of fun being mated to you, my darling,” she said, throwing her head back with a moan as he pushed into her body with one smooth thrust.

  
  
  



	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So there will be one more chapter after this then sadly it will be finished. Stay tuned for the usual announcements. I hope you all enjoy xxx

10 years later…

“Can you… believe we’re… doing this again… fuuuuck… so soon?” Magnus growled, punctuating each word with a thrust. He pressed his lips to Alec’s knee where it was resting over his arm, letting his teeth graze over his skin. He gripped his mate’s hips harder when he heard the long drawn out moan Alec let out, tilting them higher off the bed before slamming back into his slick soaked asshole.

“It was your idea, fuck, Magnus!” Alec cried as his Alpha's cock grazed his prostate with the perfectly angled thrust of his hips. He gripped the bars of the headboard harder, his knuckle turning whiter by the second as his mate fucked into him. He groaned, throwing his sweaty leg over Magnus’ shoulder when he continued to trail of kisses up his shin. “Fuck me harder, Magnus, I need your knot” he whispered breathlessly.

“By the angel, I’ve missed your heat, love,” Magnus said, leaning forward and slamming his cock into his Omega. He grinned into it when Alec dragged him down by the neck and slammed their mouths together. He matched the rhythm of his tongue to that of his dick, licking into his mate's mouth every time he pounded into his ass. “You look so fucking hot when your all sweaty like this, Alexander” he growled as he kissed down his mates jaw. He grinned when Alec tilted his head to the side, giving him access to his neck.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” Alec chanted out, his eyes rolling into the back of his head when Magnus sucked on the mating mark on his neck. He started bucking his own hips in earnest, trying to draw Magnus even further into his body, his relentless, all-consuming heat driving him to meet Magnus thrust for thrust. “Fill me up, alpha, fuck your babies into me!” he screamed, his hips jerking and thighs shaking every time Magnus’ cock scraped his prostate, it was almost constant. He gripped the bars tighter as his balls started to tighten. “Shit, please tell me your close… I’m gonna… fuuuuuuuck” he screamed as his cock exploded between their bodies.

“You're going to take it, like a good… little Omega, aren’t you? I can’t wait to see...Raziel! you walking... around with our children inside of you... again” Magnus growled out, gasping for breath as he pounded into his mate, throwing his head back when he felt his knot start to expand. “I’m going to knot you and fill with them” he screamed, slamming his knot through Alec’s rim and halting his movements when his cock started pumping ropes of his seed into his Omega’s ass. He straightened up slightly, lifting Alec’s body a little higher to be sure he filled his mate's womb. He groaned as he continued to fill Alec up.

“I love it when you talk like that” Alec said breathlessly, digging through the piles of clothes that surrounded them and pulling a couple of pillows out of the mess. He smiled when Magnus helped him stuff them under his ass before his mate collapsed onto him. The delicious tugging on his rim and the way Magnus' cock pressed into his prostate made him groan, his spent cock twitching between them.

“I love that you love it when I talk like that” Magnus chuckled, burying his face in Alec’s chest. He ran his fingers through the hair on his mate’s chest as he got his breath back, waiting for his knot to go down. “I half hope you’ll fall pregnant straight away and half hope it takes a couple of days,” he said with a grin.

“Me too, I hate the desperate need my heat brings and I want to be pregnant now but it feels so good with your knot inside me,” Alec said, laughing when Magnus flexed his hips. “What do you think we will have this time? Single or multiple?” he asked, brushing his fingers through his mate’s floppy hair.

“Multiple, I hope. Boys though! Walker and Cai wouldn’t be half as much trouble if Hennessey didn’t lead them astray so often” Magnus said, laughing along with Alec, trouble was an understatement, the three of them spent more time grounded than any other kids he knew. “I’m glad we are having more while they are still kids, it’ll be nice for them all to grow up together, the gap between Olivia and David and Victoria and Oscar is ridiculous, 95 years!” he said with a shake of his head, thinking of Izzy and Simon’s 5 year old twins. They had all dubbed them Hennessey’s minions, they followed her around like a pair of puppies, more than happy to get up to the shenanigans she planned out for them all. 

“Ha, Walker is just as bad as Hennessey, at least we have one angel child, I think Cai must take after your side of the family,” Alec said with a laugh. Walker wouldn’t get into so much trouble if he wasn’t trying to protect Hennessey from herself, their daughter was a law unto herself, he thought, an affectionate grin spreading over his face. “The other two are demon spawn. Remind me why we’re doing this again?” he asked with a chuckle. 

“Because we love our children dearly and want to give them more brothers and sisters?” Magnus said, turning the sentence into a question that had Alec laughing. “We are having more because you fell in love with Imala the second Olivia pushed her out and were practically green with envy when we had dinner with Sebastian and Tatya last month,” he said, grinning when Alec elbowed him in the ribs. 

“I wasn’t jealous, I’m happy for them” Alec muttered, Magnus, nodding his agreement. Sebastian and Tatya’s excitement over their child had been infectious, she had gone through three heats before finally falling pregnant on her fourth. They had been terrified that her age would factor into her not falling pregnant straight away and had begged him for a potion to help them along but she had fallen pregnant before he had completed it, catching on the first day of her last heat. He could admit to himself that her large bump had made him miss being pregnant when they had all portalled to England for a dinner party they had thrown. He lay quietly, happy to have Magnus’ weight pressing down on him while they waited what seemed like an eternity for his mates knot to go down, his eyes glowing a light grey every time his Alpha pumped another rope of his come into him.

Magnus moved his hips experimentally when he felt his knot starting to go down, pulling out of his mate’s sublime body and collapsing onto the bed next to him. He shoved a pair of Cai’s jeans out of the way and wrapped himself around Alec, pulling him tight to his body. 

“Mmm, that feels nice” Alec murmured sleepily when Magnus stroked small circles into his abdomen. He turned on his side, smiling when Magnus’ hand followed, splaying across his stomach and moving lazily across it. He removed the pillows from beneath him with a wave of his hand and snuggled his ass flush with Magnus’ cock. “I’m just going to take a little nap, wake me up when I’m pregnant,” he said around a huge yawn, he was exhausted, his first heat in 10 years had knocked the wind out of him, not as bad as last time but he was still exhausted. He fell asleep dreaming of little boys with his and Magnus’ features and glowing eyes.

**

Magnus knew that watching his Omega throwing his head back, screaming as he took his pleasure would still be the most beautiful thing he would ever see if he watched him doing it in 1000 years. Even after being mated to him for 11 years, he still found it odd thinking like that, in terms of millennia rather than decades but he could only be grateful for the soul exchange. He knew that there was no amount of time that would be enough for them, knew with every molecule of his being that there would never be a day when he would think he had gotten enough of Alec. His husband still surprised him every single day, still made his heart pound and his stomach clench, even more so than the day he had first lay eyes on him. He plunged further and further in love with his mate every day.

Alec looked down when he felt his mate brushing his fingers up his ribcage. He pulled Magnus’ hand up, interlocking their fingers and kissed each knuckle, not caring that there was more water on the bathroom floor than there was in the tub with them as he continued to rise and fall on his Alpha’s dick. He shuddered when he felt the pleasure in the pit of his stomach, unable to help the way his back arched, knowing his release was close.

“I’ve got you, love” Magnus whispered, holding his mate up when Alec almost fell on him, the arch of his back was beautiful. He thrust his hips up when Alec turned to jelly in his hand, knowing his Omega was too exhausted to keep riding him. He grunted when his knot expanded, watching his mate push himself down over it with a triumphant moan before he lowered Alec’s body down onto his chest. His breath stuttered out as a low growl erupted from him, deepening as his dick flexed inside his mate’s body, pumping squirts of his seed deep inside him with a ferocity that stunned him.

Alec pushed his face into Magnus’ neck, whimpering every time another burst filled him up. He shuddered when his position pressed Magnus’ dick into his prostate, pushing him over the edge and forcing his own orgasm out. He pressed his mouth to his mate’s shoulder to muffle the sounds of his screams until Magnus tilted his head up, letting his cries echo throughout the bathroom.

“That is my favourite sound” Magnus whispered in Alec’s ear as he cried the last of his release out. He let his mate’s head fall back to his shoulder when he sucked in deep breaths, twitching through the aftershocks of his orgasm. He smiled when Alec buried his nose in his scent glands, trailing his fingers up and down the smooth skin of Alec’s spine. Two days of constant fucking had taken it out of both of them. Only being able to catch an hour or two of sleep between bouts of hard, breathtaking fucking and toe-curlingly slow lovemaking sessions were starting to tell on them, not that he was complaining. “I love you, Alexander Lightwood-Bane,” he said, a small thrill running through him at the sound of it.

“I love you more, Magnus Lightwood-Bane” Alec said, chuckling into his Alpha’s neck, Magnus loved nothing more than addressing him by his full name. He loved it just as much, he loved meeting new people so he could introduce himself as Alec Lightwood-Bane, even after 10 years of marriage, just saying it sent a shiver down his spine. “You know tomorrow will be the last day of my heat, don’t you?” Alec asked, unable to keep the worry from his tone. He didn’t want to ruin the nice moment but if he didn’t fall pregnant tomorrow they would have to wait another three months. He wanted to be pregnant now, he thought petulantly to himself.

Magnus pulled his deflated knot out of Alec’s body, smiling at the pout on his Omega’s face. “If it doesn't happen this time we can always try again, Alexander” he whispered in his mate’s ear. He pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before gathering Alec up in his arms and standing up in one smooth movement. He carried his Omega into their bedroom, kicking piles of clothes and blankets out of his way. He grinned down at Alec when he dried them with a click of his fingers before tightening his arms around his neck. He bundled them onto the bed, or nest was a more accurate description he thought with a chuckle, it was full of theirs and the children's clothes and blankets.

Alec snuggled down onto his mate’s chest, wrapping the two of them up in the children’s baby blankets. They had sulked when he had made them walk around for three days with their old blankets welded to their bodies with his magic, complaining that they were too old for them but no matter how much they had tried, none of them had been able to remove them. They had been more than happy to escape to their aunt Izzy and uncle Simon’s for a few days.

Magnus inhaled the scent of his children, missing them more than he was willing to admit. He fell asleep to the soft snores of his mate and the imaginings of wrapping more babies up in new blankets.

**

Three things registered with Magnus when he opened his eyes. The early dawn light seeping through the windows told him he had been asleep for hours, the space where Alec should be was empty and he was lying on fresh sheets that were devoid of the piles of clothes they had been… sleeping in for the last two days. He was lying on fresh sheets! He couldn’t help the lurch of his stomach or the huge grin that spread across his face as the thought slammed around his now wide awake brain. He launched himself from the bed, ignoring his nakedness as he skidded down the stairs and through the house, hunting his mate by scent. “Alec? Are you…?” he couldn’t finish the sentence, trying to squash his hopes down.

Alec grinned when his Alpha crashed into the kitchen, as naked as the day he was born and a huge, hopeful-looking grin on his face. “I think so,” he said, almost squealing loud enough to rival one of his sister’s best as he launched himself at his mate, wrapping his arms and legs around Magnus’ body and sinking into a kiss that stole his breath.

Magnus couldn’t help the grin that tried to spread over his face, even as he put every ounce of his happiness, love and pride into the kiss. The only thing that could pull him from his mate’s lips was the scent of coffee and breakfast invading his nostrils. He growled, deep in the back of his throat at the thought of his Omega getting his own breakfast, the reaction an instinctive, automatic one, he should be feeding him! The thought stopped him in his tracks as he carried Alec over to the table. It had been the same when he was pregnant with the triplets, that thought had him grinning wider. He sat Alec down on the tabletop, laughing when he realized what he was wearing.

“What is so funny?” Alec asked with a glare. He watched Magnus’ pupils start to dilate as his eyes roved over him. “Don’t you laugh at me, Magnus Lightwood-bane. I was planning a nice breakfast in bed for you with all the trimmings and the news that you are going to be a father again, carry on laughing and you’ll get nothing,” he said with a huff.

“Can I have you for breakfast? You look absolutely delicious” Magnus said into his mate’s neck, his fingers creeping around Alec’s back to pull the knot from the strings of the apron he was wearing. He laughed when Alec slapped his hands away. He lifted the hem of the apron up with a lude wink, his eyes lighting up when Alec slapped his hands away again. “Spoilsport” he chuckled. The sight of his mate wearing nothing but a frilly kiss the cook apron Simon had bought for a joke Hanukkah gift 2 years ago, was doing things to him. He grabbed the nearest plate and eyed the contents warily, Alec’s cooking had not improved over the last ten years.

“Don’t worry, it’s safe to eat, I conjured it,” Alec said ruefully. He accepted the plate and started stuffing his eggs down when Magnus hovered over him, he was starving to be fair. He watched, with a shake of his head as Magnus snatched the second plate up and tipped a bit of extra food onto his plate before falling hungrily on the remaining bacon and sausage.

“Have you checked the phones?” Magnus asked as he stuffed the last bite of his sausage into Alec’s mouth. He placed his plate in the sink and took their phones off charge when Alec shook his head, unlocking them and scrolling through the messages on both phones with a groan. 

“Oh god, what did they do?” Alec asked, sighing when his mate looked up from his phone with a mystified expression and a shake of his head, indicating the lack of information in the undoubted long list of texts on their phones. He vanished their plates and dressed him and Magnus with a click of his fingers as he watched Magnus fire off a quick text. He had barely gotten their boots laced up when a portal opened up into the room. 

“Daddy! I missed you” Hennessey screeched as she bounded into the kitchen and into her dad’s arms, wrapping around him like a spider monkey. “I love you, daddy,” she said, peppering his face with kisses.

“Uhuh, what did you do?” Magnus asked, not for a second fooled by the sweet tone his daughter had used, she only called him daddy when she wanted something or she knew she was in trouble, usually referring to him as dad and Alec as pops. The innocent look on her face had him howling.

“We didn’t do anything, I swear pops,” Walker said as he and Cai followed their sister through her portal. He groaned when his dad saw him elbowing Cai to keep quiet before the portal disappeared behind them. He couldn’t quite hide the sigh of relief when they weren't followed. 

Alec watched his sons suspiciously, the innocent look on Walker’s face was negated by the guilty look on Cai’s. He opened a portal, linking the other end of it to his sister’s house and watched as Simon stumbled out of it with a snarl, clutching Victoria under one arm and Oscar under the other. He bounded forward to help his brother-in-law before he dropped one of them.

“They are grounded, all three of them” Simon shouted, glaring at his niece and nephews. He sank into the chair that Magnus pulled out for him, smiling gratefully when he took Oscar in his spare arm. 

“The three of you, up front and centre,” Alec said, watching Hennessey squirm in Magnus’ arms before he put her down. He shook his head at Magnus, warning him to school the grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “What did you do?” he asked Hennessey, knowing for a fact that she was the ringleader. He turned to Simon when she stared up at him with wide-eyed innocence.

“She opened a portal and the three of them ran through it, laughing their heads off like it was all a big joke” Simon muttered, pointing an accusatory finger in his niece's direction. He had almost died again when they had disappeared. “I followed them into a pub and had to wrestle some… some… huge hairy giant when he tried to grab them. He was an actual giant! He kept trying to cast some sort of spell on me with an umbrella, the guy was crazy!” he said, staring around at the children. “Then these two decided to cast a freezing spell on the entire bar when they all started pointing sticks at us and firing spells, with the sticks! Well, they were aiming at me, the dude with the umbrella seemed to be quite popular” he said, shuddering at the memory of the size of the guy.

“What did we say about portals?” Magnus said, handing Oscar back to Simon so he could give his kids the dad stare. “2 weeks. Don’t even think about it!” he said when he saw all three of them starting to protest.

“But Dad! That’s not fair, you weren’t even there! Pops, tell him” Walker begged his dad, staring beseechingly into his dark grey eyes. They hadn’t gotten hurt! 2 weeks was so unfair. “It wasn’t that bad. Please?” he asked, tugging at his father's jeans and fluttering his eyelashes.

“3 weeks, your uncle Simon already set the punishment, you get another week for answering your dad back,” Alec said, folding his arms and standing shoulder to shoulder with his husband. They had learned to present a united front years ago, their kids were sneaky, going to the other when one of them punished them or said no to something.

“That’s not fair, he’s not in charge of us” Hennessey cried, pointing at her uncle Simon. “He doesn't get to decide the punishments!” she said, trying the eyelash fluttering on her dad’s, they usually fell for it.

“4, Cai, do you want to try for 5?” Magnus asked, ignoring the way his daughter took his hand and stared up at him, batting her eyelashes shamelessly. “When uncle Simon looks after you, he is in charge of you and the punishments, it isn’t for you to decide whether you think they are fair or not. Maybe if you could behave yourselves for one day there would be no punishments,” he said with a shake of his head.

“No magic for 4 weeks, the three of you get to your rooms and think about what would have happened if you had been hurt,” Alec said, giving them the dad glare when they all hung their heads and traipsed out of the room. He rolled his eyes when he heard Hennessey stomping up the stairs. “Simon, I’m so sorry. They are obsessed with portals, the three of them I…” he cut off when Olivia stepped through the portal, followed by Lethabo with their daughter Imala in his arms.

“I hope they got at least a month, they opened an interdimensional portal!” Olivia said furiously, her eyes flashing the darkest green. “I had to do some fast talking before I lifted the boy's spells, it seems they don’t have portals wherever they landed and apparently they don’t let their children do magic. They thought they were being invaded” she said, shaking her head at her cousin’s antics. 

“Interdimensional?” Alec asked, pushing down the pride that welled up in him, he couldn’t help his grin when she glared at him. His children were fast learners and extremely powerful. “They don’t let their kids do magic? How do they stop them? Maybe they can give us some tips” he joked, trying to lighten her mood.

“It’s not funny, Alec, they’ve probably opened a permanent doorway between dimensions, the council won't take kindly to that” Olivia said with a sigh, she conjured them all some coffees and slumped into a vacant chair. She took Imala in her arms when she started crying and set her at her breast, stroking her cheek as she latched on. She almost forgot what they were talking about as she stared down into her daughter's golden eyes, the pupils slitted, like a cat’s. “They don’t teach them magic until they are 11 apparently,” Olivia said, incredulity lacing her tone. “They use wands too, they seemed surprised that the kids had performed magic with just their hands. The giant asked me to apologise, he kept saying he ‘din't mean no arm’ and that he ‘should’na done tha’ he seemed quite embarrassed and kept playing with his umbrella” she told her dad with a shrug.

“So, am I going to be blessing any new Lightwood-Bane’s?” Lethabo asked, feeling sorry for the curious children and trying to change the subject. “You were only in heat for two days, do you think it’s safe to assume?” he asked with a grin. He smiled when Magnus and Alec flashed huge grins at him, his mother-in-law would be thrilled when she returned from delivering Sebastian and Tatya’s baby in England.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surpriiiiiiise ;-)


	40. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's that time folks, the final chapter (sad face) thank you so much for coming on this journey with me and sticking it out for 40 chapters! As you can probably tell, there will be a sequel in the future, a rather special one that I will be writing with my sister, if there is something that I don't know about that world, she does!
> 
> Shout out to @max_maks_art on twitter for the beautiful artwork that inspired this story and to my parabatri, Heidi and Tommy, for beta-reading almost every chapter and talking me down off the figurative ledge more than a few times. They are a pair of legends and you should read their work!
> 
> announcements
> 
> I'll be taking a week or two off from posting (probably a big fat lie) because I am finally starting my 30 day Malec smut fic challenge and it's going to take some organising. If you have put in a request and I don't email, DM or FB message you within the next few days, contact me, it means I've lost your details and not that I don't want to write your stuff (sorry, I've got messages everywhere) I'm also going to finish The Shades That Made Him Mine series that I started with Bianca.
> 
> pay attention to the endnotes, i will be listing the titles for the up and coming fics.

 

  
Alec listened to the loud music booming through the cottage from where he hunched over the toilet. He wiped his mouth and summoned the mouthwash from the shelf, too exhausted to even stand up and retrieve it by hand. He swirled it around his mouth and spat it into the toilet, groaning at the thought of having to get up from the bathroom floor.

He rubbed his hands over the bump under his green cashmere sweater, silently begging the twins to give him a day off. He reminded himself that he was almost at the end of his first trimester, 1 or 2 weeks and he would be over the morning, afternoon and evening sickness that was starting to take its toll. He looked up when the door opened, smiling tiredly up at his mate.

“I thought I’d find you in here. We can send everyone home if you want? If you’re not up to it?” Magnus asked, taking a seat on the floor and letting Alec lean into him. He wrapped his arms around his mate, looking down when he heard the sigh.

“No, it’s not fair to the kids, it’s their day. Plus, the six of them will swarm me if I tell them we’re cancelling their party” Alec said, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and hide for the next six months. “The triplets have already had to wait for weeks, they will annihilate me if they have to wait any longer,” he said, laughing at the growl pouring from his Alpha’s mouth.

“They can try” Magnus muttered. He pulled Alec up off the floor when he gestured for him to help him up and pulled him back into his arms, happy to just take a minute with his mate before they left the quiet bathroom and threw themselves back into the melee of the 11th birthday party they were throwing for theirs and Dot and David’s children.

“Why don’t you give your daddy a break?” Magnus asked, kneeling on the floor to put his face level with his mate’s bump. He pushed Alec’s sweater up and pressed his lips to his abdomen, wishing he was kissing their little faces already. “I can already tell you are going to be just as troublesome as your sister” he whispered to his daughters.

They had decided to take Izzy up on her offer to take care of Alec’s pregnancy and she was insisting that they were having girls.

“I just keep telling myself a couple more weeks, then the sickness will be over,” Alec said, running his hands through Magnus’ hair. He grinned when Magnus stood up and kissed him before they both took a deep breath and left the bathroom.

“Morning sickness again?” Izzy asked when her brother and Magnus came into the kitchen, seeing the telltale signs of her brother's illness. She pulled out a chair and watched Alec sink gratefully into it. His pregnancy had hit him full force and wasn’t letting up.

Alec just nodded, smiling when Hennessey wandered into the kitchen and climbed onto his knee. He watched with glowing eyes as his daughter wrapped herself around his bump, snuggling into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Are you okay sweetheart? Are you enjoying your party?” Alec asked, kissing the top of her head. She had become extremely loving and protective of him since he had gotten pregnant, spending an inordinate amount of time wrapped around his stomach.

“Yeah, I missed you though,” Hennessey said, pushing her head into her dad’s neck. She let her fingers play across his stomach, already imagining playing with her little sisters, she loved the boys and her dad’s but she really needed more girls in the family. They were all obsessed with “protecting” her. She didn’t need them too, she was a big girl, she could look after herself. She was a Lightwood after all! “I can’t wait for Willow and Riley to get here,” she said, kissing her dad’s bump and climbing down.

“Come on, pops, dad, everyone is waiting for you to open presents,” Hennessey said. She pulled him up from his seat and dragged both of her dads through the house and into the living room, parking herself at her dad's feet when he sat in his favourite chair.

Alec grinned when Magnus was immediately set upon by the rest of the kids, all lying in wait for him to walk into the room before they pounced. He laughed, a full deep belly laugh when Walker and Cai wrapped themselves around his legs while Daniel went full on spiderman, scaling the door and launching himself on his uncle's neck before Victoria and Oscar threw themselves into the fray, screaming when they hung off his muscular arms, Magnus lifting them like weights.

Watching Magnus try to wade through the children was one of Alec’s favourite things to do, he was so good with them, always willing to play along with whatever game they could think up. He would always take the time to wrestle with them and was more than happy to sit and let them give him makeovers.

Alec smiled down at Amara and Maryse when they dutifully took up positions on either side of Hennessey, all three of them keeping their rowdy siblings away from him.

“Enough, you scoundrels” Magnus shouted when he collapsed to the floor, almost squashing his son’s when they finally managed to topple him over. He groaned, the breath being knocked out of him when all 5 of the kids piled on top of him, glaring around at his family, all happy to watch him succumb to the children. He groaned when they all just laughed at him.

“Submit!” Walker crowed as he got his dad in a headlock, high fiving his brother when Cai pinned his legs to the floor. “Submit, dad, and we will let you go,” he said, laughing when Daniel and Oscar pinned his arms to the floor and Victoria sat on his back.

“Never!” Magnus growled, bucking the children off of him with the help of his strength rune. He had learned to activate it a long time ago before he spent any time with the children. He picked them up, one by one, and launched them in the general direction of the couch, laughing when Dot and Alec started admonishing him, all of the children landed safely on the couch. “I don’t know what you’re yelling at, that boy will climb anything that stands in his way, at least he had a soft landing this time,” he said to Dot, pointing at her son. The boy had banged his head so many times they were worried for his brain cells.

“Tell that to Izzy when she catches you throwing her kids across the room,” Dot said, laughing at the shudder that ran through her parabatai. “Enough! It’s time for presents” she shouted when the children started forward off the couch, exchanging sly grins. She knew what they were planning and came to Magnus’ rescue before they could pile onto him again.

Lethabo put himself in charge of collecting the wrapping paper that started flying when the children lay into the monumental pile of presents. He looked down to see Victoria and Oscar tugging at his trousers. “What is it, little ones?” he asked, kneeling down next to them when he saw the tears filling their sparkling eyes. He looked into Oscar’s russet eyes, seeing the fall of autumn leaves, and Victoria’s winter grey eyes, looking for all the world as though a blizzard were blowing through her irises.

“We don’t have any presents to open,” Victoria said, wiping her nose on her sleeve as she sniffled. She held Oscar’s hand harder when he cried.

“They all have presents and we don’t have nothing,” Oscar said, his eyes filling up as he watched his cousins open all their presents.

“Why don’t we go and see your dad? I’m sure he has something to show you both” Lethabo said, scooping his brother and sister up in his arms and carrying them out to the kitchen. He hugged them tightly, laughing when they both wrapped their arms around his neck and proceeded to wipe their snotty noses on his shoulders.

“Two casualties of not having presents to open,” Lethabo said as he stepped into the kitchen, finding Izzy and Simon wrapped around each other, the birthday cakes they were supposed to be filling with candles forgotten. He spun on his heel, a blush darkening his already ebony skin when he saw his mother-in-law hop down from the kitchen counter, tugging her skirt down.

“Lethabo! Sorry, we were just…” Simon trailed off, putting his fangs away and trying to will some of the blood that had flooded his dick, into the rest of his body. He pulled his wife’s top straight before rushing forward and pulling his giggling children into his arms. “Did you think we didn’t get you two anything?” he asked them, burying his face in his babies necks and blowing raspberries into their skin.

“Of course we did, we couldn’t leave you out, now could we?” Izzy said, showering their little faces with kisses. She couldn’t help but laugh when she saw her son-in-law hot-footing it out of the kitchen, his cheeks glowing.

Simon put the children down and snatched up the gifts he had bought for his kids, knowing what would happen when they saw the others opening presents. At 5 years old, they didn’t understand why they had nothing. He grinned, pulling his mate back into his arms when Victoria and Oscar ran off with screams of delight, to open their presents.

“Good call” Izzy muttered against his lips, her breath catching when he grabbed a handful of her ass. “Behave yourself, Mr Lewis, we have 6 children waiting for birthday cake” she whispered when he started trailing kisses down the side of her jaw and neck. She swatted his hands away with a laugh when he groaned into her neck.

Izzy clicked her fingers, lighting the wicks of the 22 candles decorating the cakes and scooped the 2 cakes up with her magic, letting them hover in front of her as she made her way into the living room. She shook her head, feeling her mate’s eyes glued to her ass as he followed. She couldn’t help but add a bit of a sway to her walk.

Izzy grinned when she walked into the living room, seeing that Sebastian and Tatya had arrived, baby Matilda snoring peacefully in Tatya’s arms. Their baby was able to sleep through anything, even the loud chorus of happy birthday that rang through the room when Alec caught sight of the cakes she was carrying, everyone else catching on and joining in.

Alec watched with glowing eyes as Hennessey, Walker and Cai gathered around one cake and Amara, Maryse and Daniel crowded around the other. All of them blew out their candles, bouncing on the balls of their feet at the idea of cake, as if they hadn’t had enough food already! He waved his hand, conjuring plates and started to pass portions of the cake to Magnus so he could hand them out, counting as he went.

Magnus realised that Victoria and Oscar were missing as he handed Olivia her cake. He groaned as he looked around the living room, trying and failing to find them in the crowded room. He shuddered at the thought of what they were up to before a loud screech had everyone’s heads snapping up. He bounded towards the living room door, the only one already on his feet, when it burst open. “What the fuck?” he asked, forgetting the children in the room when he saw his niece and nephew struggling to carry a couple of ruffled, squashed-looking owls into the room. Real live owls.

“Happy birthday! We brought you a present, aren't they cute?” Victoria asked her cousins, grinning when she saw the looks on their faces. “Hey, uncle Magnus, they are presents!” she growled when her uncle pulled the bird out of her arms.

“Victoria, where did you get them from?” Sebastian asked, dashing forward to help Magnus, being closest to the door. He took the poor tawny owl from Oscar’s arms, warning him with a look when he tried to hold onto it. He stared down at the bird when it ruffled its feathers before settling on his wrist, seemingly content to be handled. The barn owl Magnus had rescued was doing the same.

“We didn’t do anything wrong, they wanted to come in,” Oscar said, wiping his eyes when he felt tears start to sting them. “They were trying to scratch the windows in the dining room, we didn’t make them come in,” he said, looking around at all of the adults that were staring at him and his sister.

“Stop it, your making him cry!” Victoria said defiantly, shuffling so that she was standing in front of her brother. She didn’t care if she got in trouble but she was older than Oscar by 10 whole minutes so it was her job to look after him. “They brought birthday cards, look,” she said, pointing at the envelopes attached to the bird's legs.

Magnus took the three letters that were attached to his owl's leg when Sebastian removed them with a wave of his hand. He flinched when the bird immediately spread its wings and launched itself from his wrist, landing on the table and starting to nibble at the forgotten cake, the second owl joining it with a screech when Sebastian removed the burden from its leg.

Magnus took the letters and showed them to his mate, Sebastian handing the three in his hand to Dot and David. They were made of thick, heavy yellowish parchment, the emerald green ink on the front catching his eye immediately.

“Who do you think they are from?” Alec asked, taking one of the envelopes in hand and turning it over. He stared at the wax seal on the back of it, a crest that he had never seen before with an ‘H’ stamped into the green wax.

“I don’t know, but look at the addresses on the front,” Magnus said, staring down at the letters that were addressed to their kids. He looked up when Dot and David joined them, showing them the envelopes they held, the same address on the front of the letters but addressed to their own children.

Alec looked at the letter in his hand, the letter addressed to his son;

  
Mr C. Lightwood-Bane,  
The living room,  
Vale cottage,  
The plains of Idris,  
Second dimension

“Second dimension?” Alec asked, glancing at the other envelopes, all of them had the same address on them but Walker, Hennessey, Daniel, Amara and Maryse were named as the addressees.

“Should we… should we open them?” Dot asked as she stared down at the envelope she held in her hand, addressed to Miss A Lewis. She looked at her mate, seeing the conflict on his face, the same look on Magnus and Alec’s. None of them was in the habit of opening someone else’s mail but they weren’t exactly thrilled with the idea of letting their kids open letters that had been sent from the angel knew who or where. The second dimension indeed! She snapped open the wax seal on the envelope in her hand when the three men nodded their heads, ignoring the protests of the children as they surrounded them.

“Enough” Alec growled when the children started kicking up a fuss about their parents opening their birthday cards. He took the heavy sheaf of parchment from the envelope, seeing a second letter addressed to him and Magnus. He glanced at the letter in his mates hand and the ones in Dot and Davids, seeing they had one too. He opened the second envelope and erected a barrier around all eight of the children, blocking their ears before he read the contents aloud, to the rest of the watching family;

Dear Mr and Mr Lightwood-Bane,  
    Good day to you, sirs, my name is Mrs Hermione Weasley. I am the Minister for Magic in the first dimension.  
    It has recently been brought to my attention that your children were involved in the opening of an interdimensional portal into the pub, The Leaky Cauldron.  
    Several witnesses, including a close personal friend, Mr Rubeus Hagrid, report that your children, Hennessey, Walker and Cahya, along with their cousin Miss Olivia Lewis, cast several spells on the patrons of said establishment.  
    While we do not tolerate children performing magic outside of school, allowances have been made. We understand that, as your children are from another dimension, they do not know the consequences of their actions. I wish to assure you that, as no muggles were there to witness the incident, no further action will be taken on the matter.  
    I have inspected the portal personally, along with several Aurors and the head of the department for the misuse of magic. Without the knowledge of how it was created, we are unable to close the portal between our dimensions and have surmised that it will have to stay open.  
    The witnesses report that the children, along with their cousin, performed magic without the aid of wands. To say that we at the ministry are intrigued would be an understatement.  
    After discussing the matter with the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Minerva McGonagall, it has been decided that your children, along with their cousins, the Lewis children, will be offered a place at said school.  
    I must specify that your children, should you accept the offer, will be the first from another dimension to be offered a place at the school, which I assure you, is the finest establishment in existence.  
    I must impress upon you that your children will be offered the very best education a young witch or wizard can hope to receive, you would be hard pushed to find better elsewhere. As a former student myself, I can assure you that your children will cherish their time at Hogwarts.  
    I understand, that as you are from another dimension, you may not be aware of the school to which I refer or, indeed, the ministry of magic. I understand that sending your children to school in another dimension can be a daunting prospect, I am a mother myself and would consider all the ramifications before making such a decision. I would, therefore, like to invite you both, along with Mr and Mrs Lewis, to visit our dimension. I shall personally escort you to the school and answer any questions you may have.  
     On a personal, purely selfish note, I dearly hope you will accept our offer. The fact that there is magic that I am unfamiliar with, while disheartening, is a most exciting prospect. I relish the chance to learn.  
    I believe we could learn a lot from each other, the pursuit of knowledge, after all, is an endless quest!  
    If it is agreeable to yourself, please send your answer via return owl and we can arrange a meeting between ourselves to discuss your options.  
     Until I hear back, Good day to you both.

Yours sincerely,

_Hermione Weasley_  
_Minister for magic_

  
Alec looked up from the letter to see his confusion mirrored on every one of his family members faces. He held his hand up when everyone erupted at once, silencing them all with a look. “Do you think they have been following us? How do they know our names and who the children are?” he asked, looking around at everyone.

“I don’t know, nobody has come through the portal, at least, we haven’t seen anyone come through it,” Izzy said, seeing the shake of Simon’s head as he agreed with her. They hadn’t been able to close the portal in the wall of their living room, the thought had been worrying but they hadn’t had any visitors so far. The thought of these people entering her home unannounced made her stomach tighten. She decided to adjust the wards once they got home, to alert her of anyone coming through it.

“They must be, Daniel, Amara and Maryse weren’t even there,” Olivia said, watching her nieces and nephew. None of the children looked too impressed with being left out of the conversation. “They have a Ministry for magic, maybe that’s how they know about us. The misuse of magic department sounds serious, do you think they put people in some kind of jail? If they have a ministry they must have laws and such, maybe the kids broke some of their laws?” she asked.

“Mrs Weasley said they aren’t taking the matter any further, she mentions consequences, they sound strict,” Magnus said, wondering what the hell a Muggle was. He looked down at the petulant looks on his kid's faces, maybe they could use a little authority? They were good kids but they were far too curious for their own good and they were strong-willed, especially his daughter. He looked up to see his thoughts mirrored on Alec’s face as he stared at their children too.

“I don’t want to send my children away to some school I’ve never heard of, in a some other dimension” Alec said, smiling gratefully when Magnus’ arms came around his waist. He buried his nose in his Alpha’s scent glands with a shudder. The thought of his babies being so far away made him want to snatch them up and run for the hills. He pulled back and scanned the letter again.

“School of witchcraft and wizardry. I wonder what kind of things they teach there? What could they teach the children that we can’t?” Alec asked defiantly, his pride stinging that these women thought they could do a better job of educating their kids than him, Izzy, David, Lethabo and Olivia. They all took all 8 of the children's education seriously, all chipping in and sharing knowledge.

“She says that she is excited that there is magic that she doesn’t know about, that she’s excited to learn. Maybe they know things about magic that you don’t?” Dot asked delicately, not wanting to offend the warlocks in her family. She could see that David, Magnus and Alec shared her own discomfort at the thought that their children would be so far away but she also wanted the best for them, for them to have every available opportunity that presented it. She exchanged a look with David, knowing he was thinking the same thing. “And that the children will cherish their time at this Hogwarts place. It can’t be that bad if she’s recommending the place, what kid actually likes going to school?” she asked.

“What else is in the envelope?” Simon asked, taking one of the letters from David’s hands and cracking it open. He skimmed the ministry woman’s letter, seeing basically the same thing that Alec had read out, without the accusations. He opened the folded sheets that had accompanied it and read it aloud;

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

 _Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_  
_Order of Merlin, first class. Deputy Leader of Defence Against the Dark Arts League. Head of The Order of the Phoenix._

Dear Miss Lewis,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

 _Neville Longbottom,_  
_Deputy Headmaster._

Simon turned the letter over, expecting something on the back but that was it, that was all the explanation given. “What does he mean our owl?” Simon asked, his eyes flitting to the two owls perched on the coffee table, bored of the cake and preening their feathers with the odd shriek. “The Weasley woman said that too. Do you think they expect us to send a reply back with them?” he asked, pointing at the owls with a furrowed brow. “Why not just send a fire message?” he muttered.

“Maybe they don’t have fire messages there?” Lethabo asked he took the remains of the letter from Simon’s hand, inspecting the last page. “This an extensive list. We use a lot of these things ourselves but the wand is new and I’ve never heard of these books or the Authors,” he said, looking up and seeing the confused looks on Magnus and Dot’s faces. He read the rest of the letter out

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Uniform

First-year students will require:

  1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
  2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
  3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
  4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)



Please note that all pupils’ clothes should carry name tags

Set Books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

  * The standard book of spells (grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk_
  * A Revised History of Magic _by Hermione Weasley_
  * Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling_
  * A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_
  * One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore_
  * Handy Potions and How to Brew Them _by Professor Horace Slughorn_
  * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander_
  * The Art of Defense _by Harry Potter_



Other equipment

1 Wand  
1 Cauldon  
1 Set glass or crystal phials  
1 Telescope  
1 Set of brass scales

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat Or a toad Or a pygmy puff_

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

“Broomsticks? As in… flying? On a broomstick?” Dot asked, her eyes widening at the thought of her children flying. “By the Angel! Nobody tell Daniel they fly!” she said, scrubbing her hands through her hair as she stared down at her son. He climbed anything that was stationary, insisting that he wanted to be like Spiderman and Superman. If he ever found out about the existence of these broomsticks they would never hear the end of it until they bought him one and he inevitably fell off it. She shook her head at her family when they all laughed, the tension that had been running through them dissipating as they all stared at Daniel.

“Where would we even buy all this stuff?” Alec asked, his eyes lingering on the book list. He was intrigued by the potion book, wondering if they had the same potions in this other dimension or if he could learn anything new from it.

“I haven’t got a clue but I’d like to get my hands on that Art of Defense book,” Magnus said, wondering who this Harry Potter guy was and what qualified him to write a book about defence, maybe he was some bigshot warlock in this other dimension. It sounded fascinating and he was always looking for new techniques.

“Are we really considering this?” David asked, his gaze darting to each member of his family, seeing the conflict there on their faces. He wanted the best for his children but the thought of them being so far away was causing no small amount of panic to rise up from his stomach. “We know nothing about these people, who is to say if we send them away, that we will ever see them again?” he asked, unable to stop the panic coursing through him from stealing the air from his lungs. He pulled Dot tight into his body and buried his face in her neck.

“Its okay, my love. It says in the letter that we can visit this other dimension, that we can discuss it all with the Weasley woman” Dot whispered in his ear, running her hands through his hair. As strong as her mate was, she couldn’t fault him for his worry, she felt it herself.

“Why don’t we ask the children what they think? They might not even want to go” Lethabo said, shaking his head when they all stared at him with incredulous looks on their faces. “What? It might be a stupid question to you lot but it is their future we are discussing, don’t you think they should get a say?” he asked, giving every one of them a pointed stare. He knew that if Imala was offered this chance, he would have his own reservations but it would ultimately be down to her.

Magnus and Alec stared at each other, both asking the same thing, could they really let their children go, even for an opportunity that might benefit them greatly? The letter had said that they would receive the best education, that the place was the best school in existence. They nodded simultaneously, Magnus’ gut clenching and a sick feeling in Alec’s stomach but they knew they couldn’t hold their kids back, for their own selfish need to keep them close. Magnus looked at his parabatai, seeing her and David having the same silent conversation.

Alec removed his spell when Magnus, Dot and David all agreed. “Just wait, all of you,” he said when they all started yammering at once. He gave them the look, cutting their questions and scowls off in an instant. “They aren’t birthday cards, they are invitations, to a school,” he said, looking at the 6 impatient children craning their necks to look up at him.

“Boooooooring” Hennessey drawled, rolling her eyes, who wanted to go to school? She turned away, ready for more cake, when her dad’s next words had her spinning on the spot.

“So you wouldn’t be interested in going to a school for warlocks in another dimension?” Magnus asked, his eyebrow raised when his daughter turned on her heel, her face lit up like Christmas. He almost laughed when she beamed up at him, her patented “I’m adorable” look on her face. He handed her her letter, along with Walker and Cai.

“Walker, we are going to be wizards!” Cai said, his voice shooting up an octave or two as he shook his brother’s arm. “Look we are going to be wizards” he repeated himself, laughing when Walker started strutting around the living room.

“You’re already warlocks, fools,” Magnus said, fighting hard to hold back the laugh threatening to burst from him when he saw Walker preening. He was worried for his children but they were fearless, never afraid of a new challenge or the prospect of a new adventure and they looked way too excited, it was infectious.

“Is this the place where they portalled to?” Daniel asked, pointing at his cousins as he inspected the letter in his hand. He was practically bouncing with excitement as he read it. He didn’t know where the place was but he was giddy with excitement. “Holy demon poop, they ride broomsticks!” he shouted when he got to the bottom of the letter, dancing out of his mom’s reach when she aimed a hand at the back of his head. He grinned as everyone laughed at him. He didn’t care, he was gonna fly, just like Superman.

“Daddy, can we go?” Amara asked, clinging to the leg that Maryse hadn’t already claimed. She high fived her sister when they both looked up at their dad, batting their eyelashes furiously. “Pleeeeease?” she begged, elbowing her sister until Maryse started begging.

David’s heart constricted as he looked down at the hopeful looks on their faces, his babies were so ready to leave him already? He started to wonder if they had to actually leave them. “What if we go with them?” he asked his mate, quickly thinking through any reasons why they had to stay. He knew that Dot was a shadowhunter and had the institute to think of but surely Jia would understand if she took some time off? “Just until we’re sure that the place is legit. And Magnus and Alec could pass their duties on to another warlock and shadowhunter for a while,” he said, nodding his encouragement to his uncles. “If it meant staying with the children, we could put our lives on hold for a little while, it’s not like we don’t have the time. We are immortal after all,” he said, looking around at them all.

“What, like, move to another dimension?” Dot asked with a small chuckle. She stared at her mate when he just nodded, he was serious. She glanced up at Alec and Magnus, seeing her own surprise mirrored on their faces, she hadn’t thought of that. Would Jia let her take some time away from her duties? A low growl erupted from her at the thought of her friend trying to stop her, she and Magnus had done their fair share for the clave, this was her children’s future after all. “Do you all want to go?” she asked the kids, shaking her head when they all bounced excitedly on the spot. “How can we even be sure they would let us all just turn up on the doorstep of this school and they would just let us stay?” she asked. The invites had been for the kids, not them.

Alec felt as though he could breathe a little easier when his nephew suggested they all go. He didn’t want his kids so far away but he wanted them to get the education this place was offering. He looked at Magnus, seeing the nod of his head and the shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out,” he said. He clicked his fingers, producing a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a quick reply, agreeing to a meeting with Mrs Hermione Weasley, they could at least hear what she had to say on the matter. He handed the letter to Magnus, not wanting to go anywhere near the birds in his condition.

Magnus attached the letter to the string hanging from one of the owl's legs and took a step back when both owls immediately spread their wings. He watched his mate open the window with a wave of his hands, the birds launching themselves through it the second the gap was wide enough. He didn’t know if this bizarre owl delivery service would work but he had a feeling they would probably find out soon enough.

“It looks like our children will be going to Hogwarts,” Alec said when Magnus wrapped his arms around him. Whether this would be a good idea remained to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, thanks for the kudos and comments and of course, the hits.
> 
> These are the fics I will be writing in the future so stay tuned if you think any of them sound interesting, hopefully, I'll see you then.
> 
> 30 Day Malec Smut Challenge- prompts
> 
> The Shades That Made Him Mine- Malec family fic- Fluffy
> 
> AO3 Facebook Challenge
> 
> By The Ocean- Malec AU- Fluffy!!!!!
> 
> The Redemption of Maryse Lightwood- set after she looses her runes- the rise of Maruke!
> 
> Say You Love Me- Malec college AU- Angst fest
> 
> The Mating games- Hunger games inspired ABO- Omega Magnus/Alpha Alec
> 
> The Fall- Malec ABO Wing fic- Omega Angel Alec/ Alpha Demon Magnus (they have wings)
> 
> For The Pack- Malec ABO Alpha Alec Pack leader/Omega Magnus Pack leader (werewolf fic)
> 
> The Threads That Bind Us- Malec ABO Omega Alec/Alpha Magnus- Based on the old Chinese proverb 
> 
> His Omega To Cherish- Sequal to His Omega To Protect
> 
> And the sequel to this one, we don't have a title for it yet but you've guessed it, we are off to Hogwarts!
> 
> The list is long but I'm excited to write every one of them. I'll be using the titles of them as hashtags on twitter when I'm ready to write them and maybe do a poll for the order.
> 
> Please note, the Hogwarts letter and equipment list was a direct Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone. Apart from the small changes I made, it is the property of the wonderful J.K. Rowling (I just borrowed it) and the credit for it belongs to her!
> 
> As always #SaveShadowhunters and I'll see you soon xxx

**Author's Note:**

> read The Journey by tommy(me) it is the most beautiful slow burn, it will melt you! heart eyes emoji to it! and read Malec-sanctuary by heidi_101 it is a superbly fluffy piece involving beautiful song lyrics heart kisses emoji #parabatri 
> 
> both great Malec stories xx
> 
> New note, have a read of Magnus Bane 101by Heidi_101 it is so so soft I love it and ya'll will too.


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